Shades of Green
by YarningChick
Summary: Life can be really tough when you're a witch, green, and happen to be despised by everyone that even hears of you.
1. Pride

This fan fiction was based off of the pictures my mom took of England and Scotland (she didn't take me with her, still pouting), plus the soundtrack of the musical 'Wicked'. I didn't see the play until long after I completed this story, and the book offended me too much to finish it, so don't be surprised if it strays from the original idea again.

**Chapter One: Pride**

**Deep within the caves of the Doom Mountain, a restless figure walked back and forth in the huge cavern that made up his study.**

**His luxurious kimono was the finest to be had, as well as the instruments and books that littered the surrounding tables. In the middle of the room, a large crystal ball slowly faded black.**

"**There has to be a way to fix this," the man hissed, running a hand through his thick golden hair as his glowing green eyes narrowed in concentration.**

"**What's wrong, Father?"**

**The man looked sharply at the mouth of the cave, where his young son was standing with a blanket still around his shoulders as a yawn escaped his throat. The man growled angrily.**

"**Your future, my boy. I just got some terrible news."**

**The young boy cocked his head, but came forward as his father gestured him to.**

"**What's wrong with my future?" he asked. The older blonde pointed a finger at the accursed crystal ball.**

"**Your future wife will be born within twenty-four hours."**

**The lad brightened.**

"**Really?"**

"**Yes, but she'll grow to be a far more powerful magic-worker than you." He resumed his pacing as the young boy watched him, curling up on a stool. His young face was troubled, his mint green eyes confused.**

"**What's so bad about that?" he asked. His father wheeled around.**

"**What's wrong with you?!" the elder blonde demanded. "Women are difficult enough to keep control of when they can't do magic, but if she's going to be more powerful than you, then she'll walk all over you!"**

"**I thought you said hardly anyone knows we're real."**

"**I did, but…" he sighed. "Our time is coming, my boy. Soon, we will regain the glory of our ancestors, when they ruled this land with an iron fist. The descendants of those rebels will pay dearly for their centuries of tranquility. That's why you need this witch as your wife. You'll need her great power." He swung around fast again, accidentally sending an ink bottle flying into the air behind him, heading straight for his son.**

"**There has to be a way to keep her under control-" he stopped as the ink bottle crashed behind him. He wheeled around to see his precious green ink spill down his desk and over his son. He growled angrily again as he took out a handkerchief.**

"**How many times have I told you not to play with my things?! You look like a spotted salamander!"**

"**But I didn't," the boy protested, trying to avoid the handkerchief as it explored his face. "You-"**

"**Wait."**

**The young blonde's mouth shut automatically, stunned to see a look of wonder on his father's face. He turned the small head slightly, to get a better look at the large green spot on the boy's cheek.**

**Slowly, an evil smile appeared on his face.**

"**Of course. Why didn't I think of that earlier?"**

xxXxx

"Quick! Duck for cover!" a boy shouted as he ran through the streets. "A tornado's coming, get into your cellars!"

Alerted during his breakfast, the Mayor Yoshioka ate one last bite of egg before looking out the window.

Yes, he could see the monstrosity in the distance. He tore off his napkin, and called out.

"Sakura?! There's a tornado on the way!"

"I heard, sir!" She ran past the room and out the door. "I need to get to my mother!"

"Hey, what about me?" he called after her, but she was already slamming the door behind her. He growled his dissatisfaction, and made the way to the basement by himself.

The dark brunette eased open the door and bolted it shut behind him. Huddling around a log in the dark, he couldn't help but feel a little lonely. All of his underlings were with their families, or at least their friends, while the town leader was left alone.

For one wistful second, he wished that his family were here as the wind howled outside and something broke upstairs.

Then he came to his senses and started banging his head on the log in order to clear it. No, he didn't need either of those traitors. He didn't need anyone, as long as his image remained spotless.

Something crashed outside against the side of his house. And whatever it was, had to be much bigger than a tree. Almost on cue, the wind lessoned, and then vanished altogether. Still waiting a few more moments, he finally decided to go see what the damage was.

Mute crawled out of his basement, more than a little alarmed to see some _thing _pressed against two of his windows. Feeling a little frightened, since the wall looked about ready to cave in, he ran out of the door with a dagger, just in case it proved to be unfriendly.

He ran around the side of his house, where a sizable crowd had gathered. He stared in amazement.

It was… he wasn't quite sure _what _it was. It wasn't made of plaster or wood, and shone in the sun like it was made from metal.

But, who would make a house of metal on wheels, let alone one so small? There wasn't even a harness at the front to attach horses to (not that he could tell which side was the front). And there were windows all along the sides of the thing, so that if someone was inside it, they could see in any direction without difficulty.

Curious, he moved his way through the crowd and looked in through one of the windows.

There seemed to be a sort of bed in there, as well as someone lying across it. But the glass was too dark, and the sun too bright, in order to tell too many details about the comatose man.

Slowly, the shadowy figure began to move around. Feeling a tinge of fear, Mute turned to the other people.

"There's someone in there! Stand back!"

The crowd immediately backed up several paces, wondering who on earth could possibly have survived being carried by a twister from who knew where?

Softly, they could hear a groaning coming from within, although it was faint. The strange moving house shook slightly, as unsteady footsteps were heard.

With a jolt, part of one of the sides broke off while still strangely being attached on one wall. Everyone yelped and jumped back further, as a strangely shod foot came down on the dusty earth. The other one followed it as a strangely gloved hand balanced on the sort-of door.

Then… _he _appeared.

He was holding a gloved hand to his head, grimacing angrily, but his hand alone wasn't sufficient to disguise the glorious golden hair that crowned his head. His clothes were so strange, quite unlike any kimono Mute had ever seen before. He groaned a bit, as he opened his eyes.

"He could have at least _warned _me that a tornado would be involved."

Mute gasped, getting a good look at the man's eyes, which were as green as spring grass.

He turned to the crowd and yelled as loud as he could, just in case there was anyone that couldn't see for themselves what this meant.

"The king has returned to deliver us!"

A roar of applause nearly knocked the handsome young man off his feet, leaning heavily on the strange contraption he had arrived in.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding," he said, raising one hand to shake it insistently in the negative. "I'm no king. I'm just trying to find a friend-"

The town leader bowed low before him, not listening to a word he was saying. Behind him, he could hear all the townspeople also kneel to the long-awaited royal.

"We've been anxiously awaiting your return, Your Majesty! We're under siege by a terrible witch, one that only you have a prayer of defeating."

The young man was about to protest again, but groaned as he closed his green eyes in pain.

"I think I'll go back inside until this headache blows over." He made to walk back inside the strange thing, but Mute managed to get his attention.

"Surely you would rest better in a real bed, Majesty. My home would be honored to shelter you."

Those gloved fingers tightened their grip on the golden strands, but the handsome man sighed.

"I'll accept your hospitality, but I'm not your king."

The town leader wanted to protest once more, but bit his tongue sharply. The monarch was not in the best of tempers, and it would be smarter to wait until he was in a better state of mind.

He gestured to his home, and led the weary young royal into the best room in the house, to sleep off the headache.

Yes, there would be time later to ask for his assistance.

**(For the record, the name 'Mute' is pronounced 'moot-eh'. Just to avoid confusion.)**


	2. Guilt

**Chapter Two: Guilt**

**As the redheaded woman gave a final shriek, the stubborn baby finally slipped into the arms of the midwife. Both women gave a sigh of relief, glad that the ordeal was finally over as a piercing cry filled the room.**

"**Good, strong lungs, ma'am," the woman said as she carefully carried the baby to a small basin filled with water. "This one's a healthy babe, that's for sure."**

"**Is it a boy or a girl?" the new mother asked weakly. The midwife looked over her shoulder, realizing that death would soon enter the room.**

"**I'll relight the candles when I'm done washing, but these old hands of mine say it's a beautiful little girl."**

**A persistent knock resumed on the door.**

"**Is that my son?!" the father demanded. The women laughed.**

"**No, but it's your daughter. Please come in, and light a few candles, sir," the midwife told him**

**The proud father burst into the room and began fumbling around for a match on his person.**

"**Well, a daughter's better than nothing. Ah, here it is." He struck the match against the beam in the wall, and lit a candle. He turned to look at his child and nearly screamed.**

"**Didn't you clean her off yet?" he demanded.**

**The midwife was trembling at the baby between her hands. A bit more roughly, she took a rag to the infant, to get the stain off. But it was stuck on.**

**The baby was unalterably as green as a sour apple. But, mindfully, the midwife dried off the baby before wiping it off.**

"**Your baby, sir," she said in a wooden voice. He slapped her hands away, making the baby cry again.**

"**Where's my child?!" he demanded. "Why are you trying to pass off this monster as my offspring?! Naoko?!" He turned to his wife and began shaking her shoulders. But her head flopped around in a manner that wouldn't have happened, even if she was sleeping. **

**She was dead.**

"**Oh no!" He turned to the cowering nursemaid again, who held the green babe reluctantly.**

"**I'm sorry, sir, but this **_**is **_**your daughter. See? She has her mother's eyes, and your hair."**

**Like approaching a snake, the man took a closer look. Sure enough, the child was his. She cooed at him, but he was unmoved. He growled and pulled out his purse.**

"**Here, three gold coins. Tell no one about this abomination."**

**The woman took the coins as the man tore his child from her arms.**

"**How do you plan to keep it secret?" she asked. He smiled grimly, rummaging around the room until he could find the basket his wife used to take to the market.**

"**Don't worry about that. Just tell people she was a stillborn."**

xxXxx

_It was an ordinary afternoon, warm and peaceful. The golden man sighed happily and gripped the small velvet box in his hand a little tighter._

_Today was the day that he would ask the love of his life to marry him. His heart pumped loudly, and his legs quaked worse with each step he took towards her home, but he wasn't about to let fear keep him from the best thing he had ever known._

_But, when he rounded the last corner, he was met with a terrible sight. There were ambulances everywhere, as well as a few cops. A sizable crowd had gathered and he had more than a little difficulty getting through, in order to see what had happened. And when he did see, he wished for nothing more than to un-see it._

_A blood-splattered truck, and a recognizable body being loaded into one of the ambulances, spoke loud and clear what had happened, as well as a panicking man being loaded into one of the police cars._

"_I swear, officer! She just jumped in front of me. I had no time to swerve!"_

_From the sidelines, a gray cat gravely watched the scene before him, horror present in his mismatched eyes of fire and ice as he licked his own wounds clean._

The green-eyed man broke out of his troubled nightmare, an unsaid scream on his lips. He held one hand to his heart as he panted, and a few tears squeezed past his guard. Guilt hit him like a tsunami, although there was no possible way for him to have prevented the terrible tragedy.

He got out of the huge bed and used the basin of water to wash his drowsiness away.

His headache was gone now and he had a mission to fulfill. A few missions, actually, he needed to figure out why everyone around these parts thought he was a monarch.

After all, his very nickname was of a much lower ranking. And he needed to figure out just where 'here' was.

ooOoo

Mute looked up in his study as the young king experimentally opened the door, and looked within. The mayor grinned and bowed low.

"I trust you are feeling better, Your Majesty?"

The golden man sighed, and walked in.

"Much better, but why do you keep insisting that I'm your king?"

The town leader stared and tried to politely point at the hair of gold.

"You have the mark of the royal line. Gold hair alone is acceptable, but green eyes as well? I'm afraid there's no mistaking your identity, Your Majesty."

He quirked an eyebrow, and tilted his head a bit while accepting the offered seat next to the window.

"You're meaning to say that no one looks like me, at least in coloring, around here?"

"That's correct, your majesty."

He sighed.

"Well, where is this place?"

"This is the town of Raven's Hill, Your Majesty."

The king sighed angrily.

"I meant… in general. I'm not saying I'm your king, but if I was, what's the name of my country?"

The town leader blinked.

"Your Majesty… it has been centuries since anyone knew the name of your kingdom. Everything the sun touches from one end of the earth to the other is yours, but we've mostly been taking care of ourselves ever since your ancestors were overthrown."

The man bit back a laugh, since his father had been as dark as he was light.

"If my ancestors were overthrown, then why was everyone so happy to see me? Surely there was a decent reason behind their being overthrown."

"There was, Majesty," the mayor said nervously. "The last five kings to rule the land were quite tyrannical, and had been butchering peasants for nothing more than appearing drunk in public or stealing a bit of silver. I'm afraid my ancestors had no choice but to rebel against yours."

The golden man sighed, and waved one hand.

"Well, if they had been doing things like that, then their time was up. But you didn't answer my other question. Why was everyone so happy to see me?"

Mute gulped nervously and took the plunge.

"It's because of the Mountain Witch, your majesty. Her wickedness rivals that of your ancestors, and you're the only one that can defeat her."


	3. Terror

**Chapter Three: Terror**

**A greasy-haired brunette sat back in his wagon, as his underlings finished packing up the tent and animals. He puffed his pipe and entertained himself by blowing smoke rings into the dark night.**

**Suddenly, he heard someone scuffling around in the bushes. His dark eyes narrowed, and his hand went to his dagger.**

"**Don't move any closer," he threatened. "I can have you dead long before you could blink."**

"**Please, good Hatachi…" the voice answered back. The greasy man cocked his head, and laughed a bit.**

"**My my, if it isn't Mayor Yoshioka. What brings you here at this time of night?"**

**The cloaked man pushed through some bushes, dragging a basket after him, the contents of which cried terribly.**

"**A business proposition." He walked forward a bit, and offered the crying basket to the man. He took it and curiously pulled the blanket down enough to look at the baby's face. He scoffed dismissively.**

"**Come now; everyone will know she's been stained to look like that."**

**The mayor shook his head.**

"**No, she was born like that. Please, my reputation will be ruined if you don't agree to take her away from here."**

**The man cocked an eyebrow, and he laughed.**

"**She's yours then?" **

**The brunette's eyes darkened angrily.**

"**Tonight will be the last time I will ever admit to such a thing. But even if the green fades with time, couldn't you use another pair of hands?"**

**The circus owner laughed greasily while tucking the basket under one arm.**

"**I can always use another pair of hands. I assume you'll want her kept out of sight when we visit this area?"**

**The mayor tossed a bag of gold coins at the man on the wagon.**

"**Will this be enough to persuade you to do that?"**

**Mr. Hatachi greedily stuck both hands into the bag, the basket forgotten for now.**

"**Just enough. Don't worry, she'll earn her keep, one way or another."**

xxXxx

The green-eyed man looked at his companion sharply.

"A witch, you say? A real one?"

Mute nodded nervously.

"Normally, witches are a rare luxury in villages, since they are born healers, but the Mountain Witch is different. She… she's been keeping this land in a constant state of terror for years."

The golden man hummed a bit.

"Well, what sort of things has she been up to?"

Mute shuddered at all the stories he had been picking up.

"Well, she carries off children and takes them to her realm, on the other side of the Twin Mountains, which has been known as a place of darkness long before she made her home there. She also carries away helpless old men and women, and anyone else she can get her green hands on. She puts them to work-"

"Hold on," the listener interrupted. "She has green hands?"

The mayor nodded.

"Every inch of her is as green as your eyes."

"Surely this is but a rumor," the young man scoffed.

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. I've seen her myself, years ago. I'm still trying to forget about the experience."

The man started shaking his head incredulously.

"This is beginning to sound played out. A _green_ witch? I suppose she also travels around on a broomstick?"

Mute stared at his monarch and broke down laughing helplessly. The man stared as the mayor nearly fell off of his chair in his mirth.

"A-a _broomstick_?! Why on earth would she ride something used to sweep floors?!" A few more throaty chortles escaped his throat. "How on earth would she be able to travel on one, anyway?"

"By flying, of course," the golden man said, more than a little shocked at the man's almost violent sense of humor as it doubled once more, imagining the witch to be doing what the king was suggesting.

As soon as Mute got his mirth under control, he addressed the young man again.

"Actually, I wish she _did _fly like that. It would be much less frightening than the dragon form she usually wears for travel."

His golden eyebrows shot up in interest.

"A dragon, you say? My my, that _is _interesting. Now, what were you saying this witch does with all the people she carries away?"

The mayor's chuckling immediately died.

"Well, she enslaves them, and puts them to work on her fields and in her stone castle, until they can no longer work. And… when they can no longer work…" he started gagging.

"When they can no longer work…?" the reluctant king prodded. Mute bit down on his tongue, and spoke fast, to get the words out.

"She devours their souls, and leaves a dry husk behind, which she uses for kindling. Anyone that tries to kill her mysteriously disappears for a few months, and then resurfaces with some important part of them missing. I've got a young fellow in this very village that lost his voice to the Mountain Witch, and a good portion of his reasoning. She's a monster, sire, and only you can end her reign of terror."

The golden man stood up in his chair.

"_Me?!_"

"Yes. Precisely two months ago, every witch in the land, including the Mountain Witch, saw a vision of a young man with golden hair and green eyes subduing her, and ending the reign of terror forever. _You _are that man, Your Majesty, and we've been waiting to be delivered from the witch for some time, now. You're our only hope for a peaceful future."

The man sank back into the chair, his green eyes wide with astonishment.

'_What about __**my **__mission? How will I ever find her? Oh, well. I had best dispose of this Mountain Witch first.' _He sighed aloud and held one hand to his forehead.

"I still don't believe that I'm your king, but it sounds to me like this witch needs to be put out of the picture as soon as possible."

"_Thank you_," Mute said, completely relieved. "I'll have someone start gathering supplies and I will find a guide for your journey, since you probably won't find the way to her realm on your own."

The king nodded, but then suddenly looked at the man again, as a servant girl came in with food for them and lit a few candles to combat the darkness of the approaching night.

The mayor suddenly looked _very _familiar.

"Pardon my asking, but… would you happen to have a daughter?" the blonde youth asked slowly, wondering if his personal journey was already at an end.

The older man jerked noticeably, and the young woman, also a bit familiar to the young man, twitched a bit.

"I had a stillborn, some years back. Her mother died the same day."

The golden monarch saddened, and began eating the humble soup and bread he was offered.

"I'm very sorry to hear that." _'More than you could imagine, I'm sorry to hear that.'_

'_But wait. __**He **__said very clearly that she would be here, somewhere, if I looked hard enough for her.'_


	4. Wonder

**Chapter Four: Wonder**

**She could hear him enter. She could smell the wine on his breath. She clenched her eyes and fists tighter, and waited as her heart pounded in fear.**

"_**So**_** sorry," Mr. Hatachi slurred, sitting on her cage, which was just the right size for him to sit on, so he could drink out of his wineskin, "you didn't get to perform here, Little Snake. Oh, wait, I got paid good gold to never let you be seen here." He smiled evilly, and rapped his knuckles on the cold iron bars.**

"**I had a lot of people asking for you, too. Your fame is making me a very wealthy man, and I plan to retire in two year's time. My son will succeed me in the family business." Mr. Hatachi belched noisily, making the little girl wrinkle her nose in disgust. "He's got some big plans for you, too. He says if people are entertained by you getting chased by a rabid dog, we should notch things up a bit by just letting people chuck stuff at you." The drunkard scowled angrily.**

"**You didn't do so well, the night they decided to do that anyway. You're supposed to **_**let **_**them hit you, not dodge the garbage. Well, while the others are taking down the tents, why don't we practice?"**

'_**Please no,' **_**she silently begged as he fished out the key to her cage, and undid the lock. The tiny brunette had learned better than to talk to the man, thanks to the frequent beatings that he showered on her.**

"**Come out, Snake Girl," he said in a singsong voice while yanking on a thick chain. The collar around the tiny girl's neck nearly choked her as she was forcibly dragged from her small cage. He pulled the chain up enough to force the poor girl to rise to her knees, and then to her feet. She stepped as far from the man as she could manage, but that wasn't very much. The circus manager smiled again.**

"**Let's pretend that I'm the audience, and you're the stupid green girl that wants to be fed tonight. That should make it easier on you. Entertain me! Jump up and down!"**

**The girl lowered her face from his, and reluctantly began jumping.**

"**Higher! More enthusiasm!" he ordered, jerking on her chain to help her jump higher. The girl did her best to breathe when he let her, but that collar wasn't letting enough air through. Tears began to stream from her eyes.**

"**Hey, you're not supposed to do that yet!" he shrieked, punching her savagely in the face. "You're supposed to wait until I start throwing stuff, remember?!"**

**She fell to the ground and covered her face with her hands, trying to disguise her tears.**

'_**Why did I have to be so ugly? Why do I have to be here?'**_

xxXxx

"Machida, are you certain you want to be His Majesty's guide?" Mute asked worriedly as the golden man sifted around the… "_trailer"_, he called it, for the items that he wished to take with him.

The raven-haired man nodded firmly, his steely eyes filled with determination as he readjusted the packs on his back. But he did not speak, for he was the voiceless warrior that had previously tried to slay the dreaded witch. The obvious limp he walked with was also a sign of his encounter with the horrible monster.

The golden-haired monarch emerged from his peculiar dwelling, and patted its side once affectionately. Even if it would start up again, after what the tornado did, it truly wouldn't be a good idea to drive it here (especially with the blown-out tires). He couldn't tell much about this culture, but he felt pretty certain that it would be a better idea to sneak up on the witch.

Although he hadn't really wanted to, he had traded out his black tuxedo and dress shoes for a soft gray kimono and strange wooden slippers (that were a bit tricky to walk in), so he wouldn't stick out as much.

It was just as well. The clothes he had arrived in weren't exactly travel-friendly. But they had managed to crawl into his bag, nonetheless.

Mayor Yoshioka beamed at him once again before gesturing to an old woman behind him.

"You won't be able to get past the witch's gate with your looks, Majesty, so Himeko has come up with a solution to get you into the Mountain Witch's domain without anyone the wiser."

The old woman hobbled a little closer to the supposed king, and smiled crookedly.

"Please kneel, Your Majesty. I can't reach that high."

A little bemused, the green-eyed man did as she bid him while she opened a glass bottle, which was filled with a liquid darkness. Very carefully, she poured the concoction over his hair, changing the locks of sunlight into that of deepest night. It leaked onto his eyebrows, and made a pass over his body once, so that not a single golden hair was left.

He looked over himself in the mirror a girl offered him, with a light blush on her cheeks.

'_I almost look like Father,' _he thought as the woman corked the bottle, and took two pinches of a fine dust out of a tiny bag.

"Look at me, Your Majesty," she instructed, using one pinch for each of his eyes, temporarily blinding him as the dust was thrown into his face. After a few seconds, the light came back, and he was looking in the mirror once more.

Now he looked exactly like his sire, which somehow made the transition of appearances easier to bear. Having blue eyes would take some getting used to, though.

"Fear not the water, nor signs of time," the old witch intoned while pocketing the bag. "The alterations of appearance will last until thy task is complete."

The mayor beamed as the now-darker man stood up and straightened out his attire.

"I hope you'll have a safe journey, Your Majesty. We'd hate for anything to happen to you."

The younger man smiled a little bit and bowed back, realizing that this was the custom in the area. He pulled his large shoulder bag on, and waved once before walking beside the slightly shorter and silent guide that would lead him to the Mountain Witch's keep.

ooOoo

It was a long and exhausting journey, stretching into a long two weeks through forests and towns, which lay scattered across the land like dandelion seeds. More than once, the supposed king wished that he had taken his trailer at least part of the way and let people say what they will, as long as he could get off of his feet.

But he didn't complain, at least out loud. He reasoned that it was probably a good thing that he was moving around so much before meeting this Mountain Witch, since she was likely to put up an admirable fight.

In fact, he got to see her once, before reaching her keep.

A strange sound was being carried in the air, like dried husks on the wind.

Or a pair of giant wings.

Machida had spotted her first and managed to drag his companion under some trees, to wait until it was safe to continue on their journey.

It had been just about sunset at about then, and the Twin Mountains seemed to be lit on fire from the sun's parting rays. A large figure rose from between the mountains, and stretched its huge wings out in order to start flying.

As it came closer and closer, the would-be king became more and more amazed.

There could be no doubt that it was a dragon, almost looking like it had been taken from one of the better picture books that he had grown up with. She had two fairly short horns upon her brow that curved toward her neck. Her body was leanly muscular and the wings were massive. He could just see sunlight through the tautly pulled skin while the wings beat up and down, as the dragon began its flight.

The mayor of Raven's Hill had been correct. She was every bit as green as his eyes had once been. From down here, he guessed that she might have been as long as a football field. Or maybe even a little longer.

Not that anyone around here would know what a football field was, in any case.

She flew past them without a glance, the trees providing excellent cover for the travelers. The ex-blonde watched her silhouette disappear into the distance, not being able to help it as a bit of awe worked its way into his heart.

"_Wow_," he whispered excitedly. _'I got to see a real dragon! Who says childhood dreams can't come true?!'_


	5. Trepidation

**Chapter Five: Trepidation**

**Mr. Hatachi snarled angrily, and pulled hard enough on the poor girl's chain so that her face was leveled with his, her small body hanging in the air.**

"**You are nothing, got it?! I could kill you right here and now, and no one would shed a tear!" the old man barked at her, shaking the chain for emphasis and sending the girl swinging violently.**

**She couldn't breathe! When was he going to put her down?! Her mind began to boil in anger, as her eyes turned completely white.**

'_**I… I want you to feel the pain I feel! I want you to get hurt the way you've been hurting me!'**_

**The snarl was cut off as the man choked. His eyes widened as he dropped the chain to hold his hands to his throat. The small green girl pulled at the collar again, greedily inhaling air. Suddenly, she gasped.**

**Mr. Hatachi had fallen to the ground, constantly crying out as he periodically gained and lost his breath, like an invisible person was strangling him. His fine clothes began to tear as his flesh became cut, with bruises appearing on top of them as well. He howled in pain.**

"**Someone! Help me!"**

**Haru recognized the various cuts and bruises to be in the same places he had habitually been beating her, since before she could remember. **

'_**Am I doing that? Can I do more?' **_**Deciding that it was worth a shot, she began pulling on her cold iron collar again. **_**'I want to be free!'**_

**The collar came apart as easily as a loose seam. She felt her own throat sorely as the younger Mr. Hatachi stormed into the tent.**

"**Father!" he gasped at the comatose figure as the green child rose from her shackles. His smoldering eyes turned to her, and he growled like his father.**

"**What did you do to my father, you toad!" He lunged for her, but she dodged easily, and slipped underneath the bottom of the tent. Once she was safely on the other side, she started running.**

"**Someone stop Snake!" the man screamed, making many of the common laborers put down their burdens and give chase. She ran for the tall logs that were standing up, as she sent out another thought, her eyes turning white again.**

'_**I want all of you to stop chasing me!'**_

**All the pursuers fell over each other, as their legs stopped working. They shrieked at her again, but she was almost out of sight completely.**

**Now, the circus party had set up camp on a field covered with luscious soft grass, and the green girl had enjoyed the sensation of running barefoot over it much more than the coarse sand they usually made her stand on. But now that she was in the woods, her tiny feet, which had never seen much use in the first place, soon became covered in mud and kept finding rocks. Snake stifled her screams, since she greatly preferred this kind of pain to what awaited her back there and she didn't want them to find her once more.**

**It could have been an hour, or possible five minutes, she never would have been able to tell, when she ran out of energy, as she fell flat on her stomach, panting heavily. With all the strength she had left, she dragged her tiny self under a nice big bush, and allowed herself to go to sleep.**

**She was tired, hungry, thirsty, and terribly bruised, but compared to how she had lived up until that night, the small green child was in heaven.**

xxXxx

The ex-blonde turned to talk to his guide, but became stunned.

Machida, also a fellow that resembled someone he knew back in his own world, was wrapped around a tree's roots, terror clear on his face. This was strange, since the ex-blonde had thought that he had lost his emotions as well as his voice.

"That _was _her, wasn't it, Machida?"

The dark guide nodded numbly, and beat on his chest to get his heart to start pumping again, as he struggled to breathe. His companion sighed and kneeled down in order to look his guide in the eye.

"Is she that terrifying in her regular form?"

Machida shook his head madly, and raised both hands up as high as he could. The ex-blonde quirked an eyebrow, and tilted his head a bit.

"She's even _more _terrifying in her true form?"

Machida began shaking anew, and nodding his head almost violently. The supposed royal sighed once more and set about making a campfire, since the sun was fading. Even _he _knew better than to travel into a witch's territory after dark, never mind the fact that the mysterious Mountain Witch wouldn't be home to greet him.

Did he really intend to kill her, when he eventually met her? _Could _he even kill someone that could shift into such an impressive creature?

He sighed again as he curled up in the travel blanket. He would just have to trust his instincts on this one.

ooOoo

Three days after seeing the dragon, the reluctant royal was in the narrow valley that led between the two dark mountains. Machida seemed to stiffen like a statue, staring down the clear trail with obvious terror. The ex-blonde smiled sadly.

"Her domain is down that path?"

The dark guide nodded stiffly while turning enough to lock eyes with his monarch. His mouth opened as he struggled to say something. His eyes grew dark with frustration and fear, but the foreigner could understand what he was trying to say. He smiled and warmly clasped Machida's shoulder.

"Thank you for escorting me, but I am certain that I can manage the rest of the way by myself, if you'd rather not venture in there again."

The guide bowed thankfully and began running back in the direction of his village.

Turning to face his destiny, the perhaps-royal sighed, and began walking the lonely trek through the dark pathway as the sunlight grew weaker, thanks to the mountains' shadows. Despite the fact that the witch preferred traveling by wing, the dirt path was well-worn, like a favorite forest trail, but as straight as an arrow.

Only an idiot would lose his way on a path like this, and the ex-blonde was no fool.

The way was wide at first, and framed with thick bushes that intertwined over his head in a tunnel-like fashion. But the longer he walked, the more oppressive the branching walls seemed to be. The path became slimmer, and slimmer as a flicker of light became visible.

Suddenly, to his right, he spotted a sign made with a large white sheet. Curious, he walked toward the thing, more than a little surprised to find that he could read it.

_To those who seek to enter The Mountain Witch's Domain:_

_If your intentions are pure, then you may cross to the other side._

_If not, then you will be thrown from the entrance as many times as you approach._

_But if you have a sincere need for help, and are willing to work or pay for it, then you may enter and ask for it._

_DON'T OFFER YOUR SOUL! THE MOUNTAIN WITCH DOESN'T WANT IT!_


	6. Confusion

**Chapter Six: Confusion**

**When the little girl awoke, it was to a strange sound. It wasn't quite like birdsong, but it was similar. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned softly as the sound came closer. **

**A man came into her view, but it was unlike any man she had ever seen before. He was pretty fat, but not quite enough to qualify for the circus. And she should know, she'd seen Mr. Hatachi interview people that wanted to join the show and fill that position. **

**The fat man had a thick head of dark brown hair and was making the bird sounds with his mouth, carrying a nice cheerful tune as he lugged a long pole in one hand, and a large sack over his shoulder.**

**It was about then that Snake realized that her little bush was on the bank of a modest stream. The fat man sat down at a tree's trunk… that happened to be right next to Snake's bush. She struggled to not even breathe loudly as the huge man sighed happily while slinging off the large burlap sack. He rummaged around in it, and pulled out some string with a hook on one end.**

"**Nothing beats a fishing trip without Bird Brain. Ahh, peace and quiet…" he sighed happily.**

**Without warning, Snake's stomach gave a terrible roar, one loud enough to make the fat man jump clear from his seat.**

"**Who's there?!" he demanded, stumbling on his feet and raising his pole like a weapon. As quietly as she could, the little green girl wrapped both arms around her stomach and squeezed, hoping that it would silence the roars as she shook with renewed fear.**

"**Bird Brain, if that's you, I'm gonna clobber you!" the fat man yelled. "You said you were too busy to fish today!"**

**Suddenly, the large man looked down at the earth.**

'_**Something was sleeping near here fairly recently. It couldn't have been me; I was sitting closer to the tree. Hmm… the tracks say that whatever it is, is hiding underneath that bush.' **_

**It couldn't be his best friend, there was no way he could hide underneath something that small. Was it a badger or a bear cub? Holding his staff ready, he leaned down, and pulled back a large branch to see what was lurking within.**

xxXxx

The ex-blonde tilted his head a bit, staring at the sign.

"That doesn't sound like a warning a cold-blooded witch would give," he muttered to himself. He looked down at the ground, noticing that there was a nice white line drawn between him and the other side. He experimentally raised a foot toward it.

He was immediately thrown back from the line, like a guard made of wind had picked him up and tossed him like a load of garbage. The dark-haired youth landed on his back and stared up at the branches as he struggled to regain his breath.

'_Ow… well, if I had a reputation like the Mountain Witch's, I'd probably have a spell like that outside my home as well.' _He sat up, groaning a bit. One hand rubbed the back of his head as he continued to study the sign.

"A sincere need for help," he said softly, wondering if there was anything a witch could help him with.

Without warning, the wonderful face of his beloved appeared in his mind, almost making tears flood his eyes once more.

What he would give, if he could just see her one more time… **he **had told him most specifically that she was in this world, somewhere.

'_That mayor had reacted a little too strongly, over a supposed stillborn. What if he just disowned her to the point where he won't admit she's alive? Yes, that's completely plausible.' _He looked down the tunnel-like pathway again. _'Perhaps, she's under the command of the Mountain Witch. Yes, that would make sense. That man had always been one to look after reputation first, and family second, if even that.'_

With a start, he realized that he had the answer. Go in there, and offer the witch whatever she wanted in exchange for the girl's location, since she apparently had no desire for souls. Then, he would have a chance to see for himself if she truly deserved to die or not.

Feeling a bit lighter than he had since entering the tornado, the young man got to his feet, gathered the belongings that had escaped his bag, and marched toward the white line once more.

This time, not a single hair was touched as his body moved across the line. He bit back the feeling of triumph, a little worried that it might trigger the strange sentry again. He shouldered his bag a bit tighter and kept marching toward the light, which seemed to burn like a lone candle in the solitary night.

Almost like a firecracker, the light exploded, making the young man raise one arm to his face, in order to preserve his eyes. Once they had grown used to the light, he lowered the arm and stared in amazement.

Suffice it to say, 'evil witch's domain' wasn't the first thing on his mind.

Rather, the large castle, completely covered with rose-bearing vines, in front of him seemed to glow with an inner warmth, and he could spy laughing, chattering people through the windows.

The grass lining both sides of the small trail, unlike the dried brown stuff on the other side of the mountain, was a lush green that looked thick enough to sleep comfortably on. From just in front of the castle, he could see two cherry trees in full spring bloom. The falling petals seemed to scent the air, putting him at ease as he stepped forward to the large doors.

Without warning, the double doors burst open when he was a good twenty feet away. He stopped dead in his tracks as two men shot out of the huge house, the fatter one chasing the slimmer one around the courtyard.

"That does it, you Bird Brain! That was one insult too many!"

The darker man laughed mockingly as he hopped nimbly into one of the cherry trees, never minding the fact that he and his opponent were middle-aged.

"Since when have I had a quota, you fatso?!"

Despite the circumstances, the newcomer had to laugh a bit, since even these two men were familiar to him. But he knew that he wouldn't be familiar to them.

'_This place already feels like I'm home again. But, what are these two doing over here?' _the supposed royal wondered.

The fatter one began hissing, something that the foreigner had never known him to do. Then, something happened that rewrote everything that the young man had thought he'd known.

The older man's ears began to work their way up his head as he shouted more insults at the man in the tree, who was strangely starting to grow feathers and claws as dark as his hair.

The ex-blonde's bag fell off of his shoulder, since he was too stunned to think about keeping it on his person.

The two men looked over at him for the sound, making his heart pound harder. Would they attack him? They've done it before…

The half-cat angrily slapped a strange paw over his face as he shifted back into a human.

"Oh, drat. Forgot about fighting on this side of the castle." He took a few steps closer to the newcomer, and bowed politely as his companion jumped out of the tree and lost the feathers.

"Welcome to the Mountain Witch's Realm. I'm Muta, the boss around here when she's away. How can I help you?"


	7. Compassion

**Chapter Seven: Compassion**

**The green girl screamed and threw both arms over her face as the fat man's jaw dropped in disbelief. Automatically, he allowed the branch to fall and conceal the green child again.**

"**Oh… my… gosh," he whispered, collapsing next to the tree trunk in shock. Wordlessly, he allowed the staff to fall from his grasp.**

**Muta knew that face. It was unmistakable, since he had worshipped it since he was the girl's age. He raised one porky hand to his forehead, realizing everything that came not only with that face, but with that color of skin.**

"**So **_**that's **_**why he's so supportive of Mr. Hatachi's decision," he muttered furiously, taking another glance at the slightly shaking bush. **_**'Okay, I'm going to have to do this carefully, so I don't scare her off.'**_

**Smiling a bit, he casually rearranged himself to a more comfortable seating position and reached into the large burlap bag, which contained his snacks for the fishing trip. **

**But today, he was fishing something a bit more valuable than scaly water creatures. Very slowly, he pulled out two green apples, and gently set one of them right in front of the bush after polishing it on the sleeve of his large brown kimono. He leaned back against his tree, and started taking small bites from his own apple. **

**From the corner of his eye, he watched a tiny, filthy green hand slowly reach for the apple, and then snatch it away quickly. He heard a soft crunching sound, which was quickly followed by more enthusiastic munches that made it clear that she was enjoying the apple. The fat brunette bit back a laugh, since the roars of her stomach had made it all too clear that she was starving. Literally, she had the scrawniest body he had ever seen. The filthy multicolored rag that served her for a garment wasn't fit to be worn by anyone. **

**Didn't circus folk know how to dress a little girl, or was that her costume? Something made him certain that the bruises and cuts everywhere weren't exactly accidental. She didn't even throw out the apple core, a soft sigh of relief clearly audible. He pulled out two big sandwiches, stuffed with meat and cheese, and placed one of them in front of the bush again before taking bites out of his own. The girl didn't wait as long this time to snatch up the offered food, making satisfied guttural sounds as she desperately ate the sandwich, barely pausing long enough to breathe.**

**A wrench of pity stabbed Muta's heart. What had she been fed up to this point, to act like this around a simple apple and sandwich? He wasn't sure how she had escaped from the circus, but something told him that it had been long overdue. Muta took deep breaths to keep himself from getting angry, since that would surely scare the poor child away.**

xxXxx

The young man's mouth began moving up and down, but no sound was issuing forth. _'He… he… just morphed… into… a cat!'_

The darker man sighed, and also bowed politely. "Please don't pay attention to our little fights, they're just for fun anyway. I'm Toto, and I'm certain that you came here for a reason, young man."

Some sound began to issue from the ex-blonde's throat. "How… how did you do that? Shift into a cat and crow?"

Muta grinned sheepishly. "My little Haru did that, since we cause less damage fighting in those shapes."

The young man stared at the fatter one. "Your little Haru?"

"My daughter, I mean. The Mountain Witch. Aren't you going to tell us your name?"

The ex-blonde slammed a fist into his chest, to help the words come out. _'The Mountain Witch is his daughter?! But, he didn't have any children in my world. Just how much is the difference between here and there? So strange. I've been in this land for almost a month, and this is the first time someone's asked what my name is.' _"I'm called Humbert von Gikkingen."

Toto bit back a laugh. "What was that again? Hum-but… I could barely understand you."

Muta whacked his friend on the head. "Be nice to the client, you bird brain!"

"No, it's all right," Humbert said hastily, biting back a laugh of his own. "People have had trouble with my name since it was given to me. I usually answer to 'Baron'."

"Baron?" Muta asked. The ex-blonde nodded, wondering if all classes of nobility had been wiped out, and if his name would mean anything.

Not that it would matter. _She _had been the one to give him the nickname, and he wasn't about to forsake it for any reason.

The wider brunette shrugged. "At least it's easier to pronounce. Why don't you come inside, so we can talk about your problem?"

ooOoo

Once he was inside the castle, Baron couldn't help but stare at, well, everything!

The place wasn't _quite _overrun by servants, but there was a significant amount of them, carrying laundry and assorted tools around for their various chores. But none of them had the drugged slave look that he was expecting. Rather, every single person he passed seemed to glow with life, even more than the people on the other side of the mountains. Nearly every doorway had a deep blue curtain draped across it, like barring wooden doors weren't even needed inside the castle. How strange, to have that level of trust within a community. The passing servants talked and laughed with each other as Muta and Toto led Baron through some corridors, and at last came to a casual office.

Muta gestured to the closer seat while taking the one behind the desk. "Please take a seat and tell us what your problem is."

Baron sighed while sinking gratefully into the chair, and setting his pack on the ground next to him for the moment. It had been a _very _long journey, after all. "Well, as you might have been able to tell from my accent and name, I'm not from around here."

"We noticed," Toto said dryly, leaning on the back of his friend's chair. "Did you come all this way to meet the Mountain Witch?"

"In a way, yes," he admitted, tapping his thumb against the armrest nervously. "I lost contact with a very dear friend of mine a little while ago and I've been traveling around, trying to find her. A few people tried to talk me out of paying a visit to your witch, but I'm running out of options. To be as frank as possible, since your daughter doesn't want souls, what will she take in exchange for my friend's location?"

Muta stared at him a bit, but then started laughing. "I _knew _someone would pay attention to that sign if we left it up long enough!" He turned around in his chair and grinned mischievously. "Looks like you get to do the next three years of inventory, Bird Brain."

Toto began grumbling. "Not everyone on the other side of the mountains can read, you know." But then he smiled for the client's benefit. "Haru can find people in her sleep. Literally. All she needs is the memory of a person, or something that belonged to that person, and she can pinpoint their location overnight, no problem. Your friend's as good as found."

Baron sighed with relief.

"Well, what kind of payment is usually accepted?"


	8. Trust

Sorry about taking so long to update. I got grounded for a week, and then the website went weird for several days. It wasn't very fun.

**Chapter Eight: Trust**

**Once the eating sounds had receded, the fat brunette pulled out a water skin, and uncorked it. Making sure that the child was watching him, he took a small drink, wiped his mouth, and corked it again before setting the water skin in front of the bush. He looked away as the small green hand appeared once more to slowly take it. A few seconds later, he heard water splashing, and the girl cry out in surprise. Muta laughed softly.**

"**It might be easier to drink from it if you come out," he softly suggested. "I promise that I don't want to hurt you. It's okay, you can come out."**

**Like he was persuading a cat to come out from its lair, the fat brunette kept speaking softly and gently to the child until she started wiggling from her hiding spot. She still looked scared, but the edge of it seemed to have softened considerably with his offerings of food. Half of her face had been rinsed clean from trying to angle the water skin from a strange position. **

**Still looking at him nervously, she tried again, sighing happily when she had drained the water skin. Muta smiled at her and rummaged around his bag again.**

"**Would you like another apple?" he asked, pulling out a red one this time. The girl stared at him as he offered it with his hand. She looked at the apple, and then him. She bit her lip nervously.**

"**Are…" she struggled to say. Muta stared at her. The green girl took a breath and tried again.**

"**Are… you… gonna… take me back?" she asked fearfully. "To Mr. Hatachi?" **

**The fatter brunette shook his head firmly, a little disturbed by how she was forming her words. Like she was just learning to speak, despite the fact that he knew she would soon be six.**

"**Not if he's the one that gave you all those bruises and that smock."**

**The tiny brunette looked down at her apparel, her face troubled. She began to cry, holding her hands to her face once more. "He kept hurting me! He wouldn't stop!"**

**Without thinking, Muta grabbed the girl and pulled her onto his lap. She cried out and struggled at first, but then calmed down as the fat man just held her, squeezing softly. **

**She couldn't understand. Touch had always meant pain, so why didn't it hurt for this strange giant to touch her? **

**Actually… it felt… **_**nice.**_

xxXxx

Muta shrugged, and flipped through some papers.

"It varies from client to client. If it's a small thing like a broken leg, Haru will take an embroidered handkerchief or a plain shawl. One guy that needed a bag of gold so he could marry his sweetheart got to help scrub the floors of the castle. But, for a friend's location, it'll be something reasonably small. Do you have some sort of treasured bauble or token?"

Baron's thoughts trailed to the engagement ring in his bag, but immediately shook off the notion. He'd need _that _for later. And all of his other belongings would only bring up questions as to his background. His wallet was worthless, since everyone in this world probably went by a different currency.

"I don't think I have anything suitable," Baron admitted. "Is there something I can do, instead?"

Muta considered it.

"Well, what are you good at?" he asked. "Haru loves it when she can get people to do things they're enthusiastic over in the first place."

Baron thought about it. What skills did he have, that would be useful in this world?

"Well, I'm fond of books," he admitted. "I can cook fairly well, I can fence-"

"Fence? As in, you can build fences? We could use a few of those," Muta mused.

"Oh no," Baron said hastily. "Fencing is what my people call swordplay. I meant to say that I can fight with a sword."

Muta's eyes shot open with interest, and his mouth fell a little open. "Toto, go block the doorway," he whispered. "We don't want him to get away."

"Is something wrong?" Baron asked a little nervously, almost jumping out of his seat.

Muta slowly shook his head as an ecstatic smile took over his face. "Actually, something's very right! We've been praying that someone like you would be coming soon!"

"You… were?" the dark youth asked, beginning to step away from the desk, more than a little worried by the maniacal gleam in the fat man's eyes. Toto appeared just behind him and held his hand out to gently nudge Baron's back as he backed into him.

"Are you any good?" Toto asked excitedly. Baron sighed, and looked around the office.

"If there were some swords around here, I could let my technique speak for itself."

"We don't have any swords here, but that will get fixed as soon as Haru gets back. Will some sturdy sticks work for now?"

Baron nodded, although he was a little frightened that they were so interested in his little talent. "It's recommended for beginners to practice with sticks or practice swords, so they don't kill themselves."

Muta gave a whoop as he literally picked up Baron and ran down the hallway with Toto on his heels.

ooOoo

Baron raised his sword-sized stick, and fought back the wave of déjà vu that threatened to overcome him. His opponent was Muta.

"If you can hit any part of my body with your stick, you win," he called out to the fatter man, who grinned and charged. Baron side-stepped him with ease and gave a light whack on his back.

"Never show your back to the enemy!" he barked, unable to restrain the voice of his teachers from issuing from his throat. "A foolish man is a dead man on the battlefield!"

Muta wheeled around, and tried again. With surprising ease, the younger man started whacking away the pitiful stabs and swipes that his opponent started showering on him.

A wrench of regret tore through his heart, as he quickly swiped Muta's legs out from underneath the man and caught the fatter man's makeshift sword in one swoop.

In his old world, the fat man never would have gone down so easily. He held both swords in his hands and smiled grimly at the one struggling to regain his breath. But, as the fat man regained the use of his lungs, a wild spark flamed in his eyes as he began laughing.

"You're going to have one heck of a time leaving here, after Haru gets back!"

Baron reached down to help the man to his feet, suddenly noticing that the pathetic duel had attracted quite a crowd. There were too many to conveniently count, but he guessed that perhaps everyone that had been in the castle was looking at him, wild smiles on their faces.

"Why is that?" he asked himself more than Muta. But his opponent answered anyway, as he brushed the dirt off of his kimono.

"You've probably noticed that my daughter isn't exactly well-loved by people on the other side of the mountains, right?"

"It's a little hard to miss, sir."

"Well, there's someone coming that's going to be worse than that entire side put together, and I'm afraid we'll be going to war with him before a year turns. Birdbrain over there's been working hard, training his archers, but we need good swordsmen as well, so we can defend ourselves. If you train our people to fight, not only will Haru find your friend for you, but she'll probably grant you anything else your heart desires. Please, won't you train us?"


	9. Enlightenment

**Chapter Nine: Enlightenment**

**Muta rubbed his cheek against the green girl's knotted and messy hair, thinking about how her mother would have reacted, if she could see her daughter in this state. He doubted that she would have married her husband, if she had known how easily he would cast their daughter aside, green skin or not.**

"**He's never going to hurt you again if I can help it," Muta said fiercely, thinking of all the suitable punishments he could do to the poor girl's father. She sighed with relief, and cried a bit more as he held her so **_**gently**_**. Although he didn't have a whole lot of experience with little girls, the little he had gained from his best friend's daughter was enough to persuade him that this girl needed as much love as she could get.**

**Maneuvering closer to the water, he took out a handkerchief, got it soaked, and started gently massaging the mud and blood off of the tiny girl's feet. She didn't care for it at first, but after the abuse she had put her feet through, the cold water was just what she needed. Once her feet were clean, he moved his way up to the part of the legs that wasn't covered by the smock, and then her arms, rinsing out the piece of cloth as needed. Her face he saved for last, although she didn't like the cold handkerchief all that much. He started holding it in his hands, to help warm the moisture up. She quietly nibbled on the red apple he had offered her, now that the worst of her hunger had been taken care of. Deciding that he had gotten her at least somewhat presentable, he suddenly smacked himself on the head.**

"**I can't believe how dumb I am," he muttered to himself, looking at the girl again. "My name's Muta, by the way. What's yours?"**

"**Snake."**

**He cocked his head, since she wasn't very snake-like. "Did Mr. Hatachi name you that?"**

**She nodded sadly. "Because of my green skin."**

**Muta sighed, and shook his head. "I've felt snakes before, and you're no snake." He would just have to come up with a different name, one that suited her. He smiled warmly, remembering what Naoko was planning to name her child, if it was a girl.**

"**I'm gonna call you Haru. It means 'springtime'."**

**The small green girl considered it. "It sounds too pretty for me," she said mournfully. He laughed softly.**

"**Nonsense, it's perfect for you." He got to his feet, grunting a bit. "Would you like to come home with me, Haru? I have more food, and a nice warm place for you to sleep."**

**The girl looked around at the woods she was in, and at the river that flowed by. She had never been on her own before, who knew if she would be able to survive, let alone evade the people that were sure to be looking for her?**

**Haru looked up at the gentle giant… and nodded. He smiled widely, making the girl feel all warm inside. He offered her his hand again, but this time there was nothing in it. She looked at it, wondering what she was supposed to do. Muta sighed again.**

"**We've got a **_**long**_** way to go." **

**Somehow, she knew he wasn't just talking about the way to his house. Very gently, the gentle giant took her hand, and started leading her down a trail that she hadn't been able to see the night before. The tiny green girl walked after him, strangely feeling like everything would be okay, after all.**

xxXxx

Well, Baron wasn't exactly in a good position to turn down the offer. So, despite his personal misgivings, he began teaching that very day. There were so many men that wanted to learn, that Baron became obliged to have them break into separate shifts, so that everyone could hear him clearly.

That was fine by his students, everybody worked in shifts around here, and the spring planting needed to be done.

"No, please hold the stick like this." Baron readjusted a man's hold, so that it was closer to the end. "If this had been a real blade, you would have cut your fingers off."

The young man nodded, and returned to the standard exercises that the new sensei had them doing. Baron clapped his hands in time to the movements, impressed by the level of genuine enthusiasm.

'_It appears that the mayor of Raven's Hill had been wrong on more than one account. No one I've seen even remotely seems like they have been brought here by force.' _"I believe we can take a short break," he announced out loud. Everyone immediately lowered their weapons and sat down in order to talk with each other.

'_So strange, that they obey me without question.' _He sighed, and also sat down on the soft grass. Casually, he pointed to a face that was a bit more familiar to him than the others. "Could you come here for a second?"

The dark brunette seemed a bit startled to be singled out, but walked over enough to sit down next to the sensei. "Can I help you, Baron-Sensei?"

"Perhaps. What is your name?"

"Tsuge, Baron-Sensei."

"Ah. I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me, Tsuge."

The bulky youth shrugged. "If I can, sure."

Baron took a deep breath. "I'm more than a little confused. On the other side of the mountains, I heard nothing but vile things about your witch, but then, when I come over here…"

"You find paradise?" The bulky youth laughed, but there was an undertone of bitterness to it. "Everything you heard were probably lies that were spread to make Lady Haru look evil. She's actually the sweetest girl you'd ever want to meet. Everyone on the other side, or at least most of them, absolutely refuse to believe that any witch with green skin could ever be a good person."

Baron cocked his head. "So the whole 'carrying children and older people away' thing was a lie?"

"Actually, that's completely true. But what everyone seems to keep forgetting is that they didn't want them until after they were gone."

"Could you please explain that?" Baron asked, moving his legs around in a more comfortable fashion. His companion nodded.

"Well, when Lady Haru and her family first came here, everything was in shambles. While they were fixing the place up, people found out that she was on this side of the mountains. No one wanted to come over here, but then a few people started getting desperate for help. I think the first one urgently needed a bag of gold, before his sweetheart's father married her off to someone else. She originally wanted to just give him the gold, since she had found a decent deposit of it in the mountains, but her father knew it'd be a bad idea to just give things away with no repayment. So in exchange for a bag of gold, he got to help scrub the castle floors. His bride didn't want him to go to this side of the mountains to work off his debt, especially since Lady Haru was involved, but after she met Lady Haru, she couldn't help but agree with her husband when he tried to tell people what a sweetheart she is.

"Most people ignored and persecuted them for their close association with the Mountain Witch, but others started coming to her for help with various things. Eventually, people like my family started just settling over here. It was a bit more convenient, and Lady Haru is a much kinder mistress than any on the other side of those mountains. No one in her domain is ever hungry, cold, or without a roof over their heads."

Baron nodded, guessing that was why everyone here was so devoted to her. "So, what does all this have to do with carrying off children and the elderly?"


	10. Bewilderment

**Chapter Ten: Bewilderment**

**Muta's home was a modest wood cabin that he had built himself. It was also still in the woods, a good half-day's walk from the closest village, which was just perfect for hiding a refugee.**

**Haru looked around as Muta bolted the door behind them, to keep out intruders. It didn't have a whole lot of furniture, just a wooden couch and bed. What Muta had focused his attention on was the cabinets, which were almost bulging with food. He looked at his little green companion while setting aside his fishing pole and food satchel.**

"**What you need is a nice hot meal, Chicky. A vegetable stew should do nicely." With that, he started rummaging around in the cupboards and pulling out various veggies. After deciding that they needed water, the fat brunette shouldered a pole with a bucket dangling from each side as he took down the bolt.**

"**Okay, Haru. This is what I need you to do. The only one that ever visits me is my best friend Toto, and sometimes his wife and kid. There's a chance that they'll come while I'm gone, but…" he stopped, trying to think of a nice way to put it. "… if he sees you, he might tell someone that will tell Mr. Hatachi, and we don't want that."**

**The small girl nodded her head in agreement. "Do you want me to bolt the door behind you?" she asked. **

**Muta shook his head. "If we did that, and Toto came, he'd think that I was in here and try to break in. What I need you to do is hide under my bed, and take a little nap. I won't be gone for very long, but Toto's the kind of person to burst into my home without warning. I've been trying to beat it into him that I don't like it when he does it, but he keeps doing it anyway. If you stay under my bed, then he won't see you."**

**Haru nodded, making the fat man smile affectionately and kiss her forehead. Her eyebrows went up, since no one had ever done that to her before.**

"**That's my girl," he said lovingly before going through the door. As it shut behind him, the green child looked around the cabin again. She would have loved to explore a bit, but decided to take a nap under the bed, like Muta suggested. **

**She crawled underneath the large bed until reaching the wall. The tiny brunette looked behind her, a little amazed at how far away the light was. She shrugged it off, and went to sleep.**

**Darkness didn't bother her much. Back in the circus, she was never bothered when left alone in the dark.**

**It was the light that had made her learn fear.**

xxXxx

"Well, one or two of Lady Haru's earlier clients had grown up in orphanages, but she didn't care much for the details they gave her. She eventually started raiding orphanages, telling everyone there that if they came home with her, they would never be cold or hungry again. The owners always try to stop her, so she binds them to the wall and takes away their voices until five minutes after she leaves with her new charges. Lady Haru's picked up quite a number of kids that are much happier now, but then she noticed how the elderly were often tossed out of their homes for being useless, and started taking them in as well. They help where they can, and the shadow servants she calls up care for their physical needs. But she has _never_ carried anyone off without their consent. She's very firm about that."

Baron nodded again, a bit perplexed. "What does she _do _with all those children?"

"Same thing she does with everyone else. She gives them a home, decent clothes, food on the table, and a job. Lady Haru hates idleness, so after a week of letting the children settle in, they can choose any line of work they want. If they're under the age of ten, then they can wait until they're old enough to work. Surprisingly, the children are willing to take jobs, since they have the power to choose what to do with the rest of their lives, and Lady Haru makes sure that they have enough time to play after work. Everyone benefits. Of course, many of them are a bit put out that Lord Muta won't let them learn how to fight from you."

Baron sighed. "I began learning when I was eight, so I may have to talk with Muta about this. There are other ways for children to help with warfare."

Tsuge grinned, and stretched out a bit. "Can we start again? We've got a ways to go."

"One more question. Before coming here, I met a fellow that everyone claims lost his voice to your Lady Haru permanently, and he seems to feel that she is the most terrifying thing on the planet. Would you care to explain this?"

The young man's eyes suddenly turned dark, and became filled with an unfathomable hatred. "Was his name Machida?"

"I believe so."

"Well, he _better _be terrified, after what he did."

"What did he do?" Baron pressed.

The young man began growling. "He betrayed Lady Haru's trust in the worst possible way. Lord Muta wanted to kill him, but Lady Haru wouldn't allow it. Machida was_ very _lucky that he got off with a voice removal and lifelong banishment from her lands, because if he were to ever show his face here again, I doubt Lady Haru would be able to save him a second time."

"How did he betray her trust?" Baron asked, feeling a bit impatient.

The young man scowled, and got to his feet. "He got her to give him her heart, just so he could shatter it and make her more vulnerable to an assassination. If Lord Muta didn't walk in, Machida probably _would_ have been able to kill her. Then, that very night, she gets the vision of the green-eyed man enslaving her. She hasn't been the same since."

"_Enslaving her_?!" Baron asked, outraged.

The dark youth nodded and gripped his stick once more. "Can we go back to the lesson? Like I said, we've got a ways to go, and none of us want Lady Haru to _ever_ get hurt again."

Numbly, Baron got to his feet and resumed the lesson. His body was on autopilot while he corrected stances, and went through three more groups of students before Muta showed him to a comfortable room in the castle. His mind was racing with a thousand questions.

Why did Lady Haru care so much for complete strangers? Why did Machida hide his despicable acts? Why did she think that he intended to _enslave _her, of all things? Why on earth did all the other witches seem to think that he was going to kill her? What had been the vision, precisely?

He lay on the bed and thought about these questions. He stared up at the stone ceiling, and mentally traced the individual stones.

"For that matter, where is she now?" he mused out loud. Raiding another orphanage, perhaps? How would she transport the children, on her back?

His heart began to pound in excitement, thinking about riding on such an impressive dragon. Would she let _him _ride her, if he asked? Muta had said that she would probably give him whatever he wanted, in exchange for training her people.

He sighed once more, and slipped between the covers to fall asleep.

Well one thing was for sure. He needed to talk to this Lady Haru as soon as possible. If she was truly as good as his student had said, then he had absolutely no intention of slaying her, no matter what that mayor had told him.


	11. Amazement

**Chapter Eleven: Amazement**

**Without warning, the door burst open, startling the little green girl from her slumber.**

"**Muta?! Muta?! Oh come **_**on**_**… he runs off **_**today**_**, of all days?! I've got to warn him." The frantic voice soon left the cabin, along with the footsteps. Haru breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't thought to look under the bed.**

**Then again… the likelihood of fitting Muta under here was just as likely as Mr. Hatachi apologizing to her for treating her worse than an animal for her entire life. She moved around, yawned, and tried to go back to sleep.**

**But, then the voice came back. "Muta, you've **_**got **_**to listen to me! The kid maimed no less than fifteen people!"**

"**Good. I bet they deserved it."**

**Her heart froze as two pairs of footsteps entered the cabin.**

"**No, not good! Who knows where the Green Child is now, or what damage it can do?"**

"**You don't even know the Green Child's gender?" Muta asked drily, pulling out something that had a metallic ring and began chopping vegetables after dumping the water into the cauldron in the middle of the cabin.**

"**Does it matter?! The point is, there's a monster out on the loose, and I don't want you to fall prey to it!"**

"**You mean you care? I'm touched, Bird Brain. But you don't have to worry about me. I'm not in any danger."**

"**I think you are. Come on, you could get attacked as soon as I walk out of sight, and no one would know for maybe a week. You're in a very vulnerable position, and I'd feel better if you came to live with my family for a while."**

**Haru's heart froze.**

"**Not a chance, Bird Brain. **_**This **_**is my home, and this is where I'm staying."**

"_**Please**_**, Muta! Can't you do this one thing for me? It's a lot easier than having me check in on you every other day."**

"**If it's a bother, then don't check on me that often. I'm not in any danger."**

"**YES YOU ARE! For crying out loud, Muta! The Green Child took out fifteen grown men! Do you think it would have any problems taking you down?"**

"**Yes. Just go back to your wife and kid-"**

"**Not without you."**

"**Yes without me."**

"**Not!"**

"**Yes!"**

"**Not!"**

"**Yes!"**

xxXxx

Three days after Baron's arrival, a bell began to ring in the highest tower.

Muta looked up, and grinned widely at his young teacher. "My Haru's home," he said while dropping his stick, and running for a large field close to the practice grounds.

"My Hiromi's home, too!" Toto crowed happily, taking off after his best friend. Curious, Baron quickly called off practice so that he and the others could follow.

Sure enough, a large green dragon flew between the mountains and started circling in preparation for landing.

Without warning, Baron felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced over to see Muta, who looked a little worried.

"I should have mentioned this earlier, but whatever you do, don't stare at her. Haru _hates_ being the center of attention."

"So she shifts into a dragon," Baron said sarcastically, as her hind feet made a solid landing in the open field. The ground shook slightly, and an artificial wind billowed in the field from her impressive wings.

"She says it's a lot of fun," Muta defended as his young teacher looked over the dragon.

She seemed even bigger than when he had been traveling here, but now that she was standing still, he could see a long white line tracing from her forehead to her chin, overlapping an eye, like a battle scar through the gleaming green scales.

But… there was something hauntingly familiar about those huge caramel eyes.

With one clawed hand, the green she-dragon touched the blood-red gem that was strapped to her large neck, and it began to glow as her eyes turned white. Almost like a fountain of blood, red light flooded out of the gem to land just below it, and began to form a human body.

The young woman stumbled a bit as her features melted into place and Toto ran up to hug her.

"How was the mission, Sweetheart?"

The light brunette who had been residing in the red jewel grimaced as the dragon behind her began to shrink. "A complete failure, Papa! Would you believe that the village had archers and catapults ready for us?! Honestly, we were just trying to end the stupid drought, and they try to kill us!"

Baron's eyes grew wider and wider, as the dragon continued to shrink.

As the face became more human, the Mountain Witch opened her mouth. "I don't know why we're still surprised by the fact. Father, I'm afraid that we'll have to start turning away anyone that needs personal help outside the realm. I'm sick and tired of being used for target practice."

That _voice_! Baron knew it better than his own…

"Of course, Haru," Muta replied soothingly as he started walking forward. But unlike his best friend, he was walking a bit slower, to give his daughter more time to finish morphing into a human girl.

A green kimono emerged from the gleaming scales, almost the same color as the girl's grass-like skin, and her wings folded down over her shoulders to form a billowing cloak of the same color. Hair began shooting out of her head, a rich milk chocolate color that flowed down her back. A fairly big ruby was still hanging from her neck by a thick cord.

Yet, despite all the obvious reasons or excuses Baron had to stare at the Mountain Witch as she became a full human and warmly embraced her fat father, the thing he couldn't keep his eyes off of was her face and her beautiful eyes as they resumed their caramel color. Not even the long white scar running from forehead to chin in a straight line, crossing her left eye in the process could distract him from seeing her entire still-fair face as a whole.

Even with the scar and green skin, he could never have mistaken her.

'_Oh… my! It's her! Well, that __**does **__explain a lot about this place… and her actions. This may be the strangest thing to happen to me yet, and that's saying something!'_

She suddenly opened her beautiful brown eyes to look at him, over her father's huge shoulder. He immediately stiffened, as his heart sped out of control.

Her gaze turned sad, and slightly stony. "You dropped something," she informed him, making some show of looking at the ground. "It looks suspiciously like a jaw."

He immediately closed his mouth and flushed as Muta looked over his shoulder, and laughed a bit.

"Be nice, Chicky. He's training our people to fight."

Her slim eyebrows shot up with interest and she walked around him in order to look at Baron a bit better. He stiffened involuntarily when she stopped about two feet away from him, and studied his face carefully.

'_Can she tell that my looks are fake?'_


	12. Apprehension

**Chapter Twelve: Apprehension**

**They started pounding on each other, rolling on the ground and almost knocking over the half-full cauldron, shouting ridiculous insults at each other.**

"**I'm trying to save your life, you pig!"**

"**I don't need to be saved, you big chicken!"**

"**Yes you do!"**

"**No I don't!"**

**Haru couldn't take it anymore. She scrambled out of her hiding spot, and waved her green arms frantically. "Please don't hurt Muta!" she cried out. "I'll leave if I need to, but don't hurt him!"**

**Toto looked over at her, and his mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with astonishment. **

**Muta sighed. "Haru, we fight all the time like this. You shouldn't have come out."**

**She shook her head stubbornly, tears falling down her face again. "I can't stay if it means you have to beat up your best friend. I'll go away."**

"**No!" Muta scrambled to his feet, and embraced the girl again. "Please, stay. You won't have a chance if you go out there all alone."**

**Toto kept staring at the green girl, his mouth still hanging open. **

**Muta looked behind him, and smiled grimly. "You see whose daughter she is, don't you?"**

**The raven-haired archer nodded numbly. "The resemblance is unmistakable." He slammed one fist into the solid floor as he got back to his feet. "He's organizing a hunt for his own daughter?!"**

"**I'm not that shocked," Muta growled, setting the girl on his bed before kissing her brow gently. "After all, he sold her to the circus, didn't he?"**

"**He didn't sell me," Haru said quietly, looking at her little green feet. "If you're talking about my father, he gave Mr. Hatachi a huge bag of gold to take me away, and keep me out of sight when we're in this area, because he doesn't want anyone to know about me."**

**Toto stared at her in amazement, as did Muta, but then the archer walked over to grab her hands. She jerked uncomfortably, but Toto didn't notice.**

"**Did you use magic to maim the fifteen men?" he asked sternly. **

**She cocked her head at him. "Magic?"**

xxXxx

"Are you any good?" Haru asked him, her interest peaked. Baron blinked at her, a little confused. She sighed.

"When you aren't struck dumb, can you fight well?" she asked, a trace of irritation present in her tone.

He blinked, and willed some moisture to return to his mouth. "I haven't lost a battle in five years, if that's what you mean."

She smiled a bit, but he knew it wasn't her true smile. "That's wonderful. What is the price you want for your services?"

"P-price?" he asked as Muta came up behind his daughter, his gaze a little disapproving for the newbie as he placed one meaty hand on his daughter's slim shoulder.

"He had a friend that he wanted you to locate for him, isn't that right, Baron?"

The young teacher's eyes widened a bit, since the request was now useless, but Haru laughed a little.

"I can do that, my lord."

"Eh?" Muta asked her as Baron struggled to think of a plan.

"A baron is a lower-ranking lord, Father. Lune told me that, when I visited him the first time. Is that your name or your rank, Baron?"

He gulped a bit. "It's actually a pet name a good friend of mine gave me a few years ago, and I'm quite fond of it."

Haru tilted her head a bit, and smiled that same guarded smile. It almost hurt him, to see her smile like that.

Like it wasn't safe to show her true smile.

"I see… it suits you. Well, in order for me to locate your friend, I'll need you to bring his or her face to your mind. Try to remember as many details as you can about this friend."

'_Remember…' _He suddenly came upon an idea, and jumped on it. He called another face to his mind, one entirely different than the one he had originally wanted. He made sure to put in as many details as he could remember. She had eyes the color of purest sapphires, and her hair, although as dark as his was now, had a bluish sheen to it. Her face was calm, and pale.

It was a face of comfort.

Haru tapped his forehead twice with one finger, her eyes turning white. Her eyes narrowed a bit in concentration. "She's lovely," the scarred witch commented, withdrawing her green hand. "Is she your sweetheart?"

"Oh no," Baron laughed. "She's my cousin, practically my sister. She disappeared some years ago, and my travels led me here. If you could find her, I would be most grateful."

She smiled a bit, and bowed politely before walking away. "We'll see after I take a nap. That flight was exhausting."

"But you enjoyed every moment of it," her best friend said in an accusatory manner, making the green woman laugh as she entered the castle.

"Of course. _Nothing_ can compare with flying."

After the sturdy door closed behind her, Muta turned to his young teacher, his gaze disapproving as those blue eyes continued to gaze at the witch's exit point.

"I thought I said _not_ to stare at Haru," he scolded roughly. "That always puts her on guard."

Baron knocked himself once on the chest, to help him focus. "My apologies. I guess I was caught off-guard after all."

Toto scoffed a bit. "What _were _you expecting? Something besides a green witch?"

"Not precisely," Baron said, wondering how he could possibly explain his strange behavior, when he was usually calmer than anyone. He smiled a bit, and headed back for the training field. "I guess I was just expecting someone a little older, to have such an impressive reputation."

Muta had to laugh at that. "She was practically _born _with a big reputation. But please don't stare at her like that again, Baron. She hates that, as you could see for yourself."

Baron had to sharply restrain himself from reaching up to tip his hat, since he hadn't worn it once since his trip by tornado. "I'll be certain to restrain myself in the future."

Muta watched him return to the field, something nagging at him. _'I thought he said he was looking for a friend.'_


	13. Shock

**Chapter Thirteen: Shock**

"**Sure. You're Naoko's daughter, so you have to be a pretty good witch, or at least grow to be a good witch. How did you maim the fifteen men?" Toto pressed. **

**Haru sighed. "Mr. Hatachi was making me practice for my next act. He was pulling on my collar a lot, and making it hard for me to breathe. He kept saying that he could kill me and no one would care. I wanted him to feel the pain I did, but then that's what happened. He fell to the ground choking, and getting bruises and cuts everywhere."**

**Toto looked at her black spots grimly, and nodded for her to go on. **

**She took another breath, although she wasn't used to talking this much. "After that, his son came in and tried to hurt me for hurting his father. I escaped, and men began to chase me. I wanted them to stop chasing me, so they fell over themselves and couldn't get up again."**

**Muta began to laugh sinisterly, and hugged the girl again. "Nice one, Chicky. I'm so proud."**

"**There's still a problem," Toto pointed out as a shell-shocked green girl struggled to adjust to what her big friend had just said to her. "There's a bloodthirsty mob out there that would like nothing better than to find her and return her to the younger Mr. Hatachi. Apparently the elder one bled to death."**

**Haru cocked her head. "Why did the pain kill him if it didn't kill me?"**

"**Maybe you're stronger than he is," Muta asserted, although troubled that such a young girl had already made her first kill.**

"**That and he got all the cuts at once," Toto corrected. "Haru got hers in smaller doses. Still, if he's been treating a defenseless little girl that badly, the world will be better off without him." He stood up, and started pacing. "Oh, what are we going to do about this," he muttered to himself.**

"**We?" Muta asked in surprise. **

**His best friend turned around defensively. "Yes, **_**we**_**. Did you really think I'd turn my back on my niece?"**

**Muta sighed. "No more than I would."**

**Haru looked at both of them. "What do you mean?" she asked. **

**Toto sighed, and hugged her as gently as he could. "I'm your mother's brother, and Muta is your father's brother, although your father doesn't like to admit it. I have a little girl that's your cousin, and she's a witch too. I got skipped in the magic department, and Hiromi can't do anything impressive yet." He sighed again as the girl absorbed the information.**

"**So… you're both my family?"**

xxXxx

Haru grimaced and murmured a bit as she opened her eyes at last, and looked out the window from her bed.

'_He's not going to be very happy about this.' _She sighed, and pulled back the covers. She walked over to the long table on the other side of her tower room, and picked up the simple brown kimono that had been resting there. The green kimono next to it was only used for when she needed to travel in her dragon form, since it made the transition easier to do.

And she was well-aware that one of the reasons the people in her domain loved her was because she dressed like them. In fact, many of them had finer clothes than _she _did, but that was okay.

She had never been one for finery.

The green woman tied her obi sash on while stepping into her simple wooden sandals, and stretched once more before making the long trek down the winding stairs.

Her father had been against her shutting herself off in the tower, but she had fallen in love with it as soon as she first saw the view from there.

It was a safe love. One that wouldn't bite her back.

'_Knock it off, Haru. Everyone's depending on you for strength. If you pretend everything's fine, then it will be._

'_Besides, a sword-sensei is now at your disposal. Well, I'll offer him whatever he wants for his continued service, if he isn't satisfied with his cousin's fate.' _She sighed a bit while stepping into the corridor at the bottom of the stairs, and stopped a young girl that was carrying a basket of laundry. "Minako, do you know where the Baron is?"

The girl smiled, and adjusted her hold on the basket. "He's probably in the dining hall for breakfast. You should see him _fight_, my lady! He's fantastic!"

The green witch laughed a bit and bowed thankfully before running down the hall again. _'I hope you're right, Minako. I need all the help I can find against… __**him**__.' _She suppressed a shudder, and pushed that terrible face from her mind as her heart turned cold. _'I refuse to submit to that monster's will, even if it means my death.'_

She walked through the last curtain to see the third shift just finishing up their meal.

There! Baron was sitting right next to her father, pretending to draw something on the table with a chopstick. She walked closer to his table, and began to hear what he was saying. There was quite a crowd of young men behind him, but they silently and respectfully stepped away as she approached from behind Baron's chair.

"… which is why you can't swing the sword too high. There's little point in taking out your opponent if you tear your arm muscles in the process, and leave yourself open to the next attacker."

"What about swinging too low?" Haru asked, leaning a bit over his head so she could see what he was pretending to draw on the table. "Is it the same principle?"

"Of course, that's why you use your leg to trip up opponents-" he kept moving his lips, but no sound was coming forth. His baby blue eyes looked up at her, and then even his lips stopped moving.

She sighed tiredly. "Will you relax if I promise not to bite?" the green woman asked tightly.

The young man blinked twice. "M-my apologies, Lady Haru. You surprised me."

"Yes, I can see that," she said a bit stiffly, since he was still staring at her. "Care to walk with me a bit? I found out where your cousin is."

His eyes went even wider but he got out of his seat, and followed her away from the table, and through another corridor. "Is she well?" he said anxiously.

Haru sighed sadly. "I'm afraid not. She's been lying underneath a cherry tree's roots for five years now. Someone planted it over her grave, but I'm afraid it's been too long to determine the cause of death. I think she died peacefully, though. Her soul's at peace."

Baron looked understandingly grim through her explanation, like he was expecting it, but seemed startled at the last part. "You can tell?" he asked.

She nodded firmly. "Sometimes. She's content, where she is. What was her name again? I don't think you mentioned it."

"_Emily_," he said softly, rubbing away the few tears that managed to squeeze past his guard. "Thank you, Lady Haru. Even knowing this is better than knowing nothing at all."

Without warning, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly, just noticing a strange black marking on one of her fingers.

There seemed to be a zap that traveled from that spot and shot through the rest of her like lightning, even to the tips of her hair.

And she would know. Few things could re-energize her like a lightning storm.

The green witch tore her hand away from the man, and held it behind herself in a protective manner, so he couldn't get a second look at that finger.

"What did you _do_?!" she whispered, since her hand was still tingling like mad with something unknown.


	14. Determination

**Chapter Fourteen: Determination**

**Muta nodded again as her other uncle let go.**

"**What else can you do, Haru?" the darker man asked, looking around the cabin. He pointed at the cauldron. "Can you make a fire under that?"**

**The little green girl looked at the cauldron, and concentrated. No, not even a spark. **

**Muta scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe if you remember how Mr. Hatachi and the people chasing you made you feel, it could work. Try again."**

**Haru looked at the wooden sticks underneath the cauldron. They reminded her of the ones Mr. Hatachi would beat her with, when her act wasn't entertaining enough. She could feel all the hurt, all the anger that had been forced on her for her ugly little green skin.**

**Her eyes turned white.**

**The wood underneath the cauldron exploded into a riotous fire, making both men jump. In her mind, she could see… something else.**

**The fire circled around the cauldron to make a round thing in the air, and the center clear out.**

**A man appeared in the middle, his black eyes flashing angrily. "I assure you, Mr. Hatachi. If the Green Child **_**is **_**in this area, we'll find her. She'll pay for the life she took." He turned to the mob behind him, and raised one hand. "Go out and find her! We can't have a murderer loose in our peaceful community!"**

**The crowd roared their approval and began to disperse into the trees surrounding the village. Haru shuddered as the vision faded, the fire retreating to underneath the cauldron to start heating the stew Muta had placed in it.**

**That man had to be her father. **_**If **_**one could call him that. **

**Toto stared at her in complete shock. "You didn't even try to make that image," he whispered. "You didn't even need a crystal ball, and you called an image at six years old?"**

**Muta grinned proudly, and picked the girl up again in order to hug her. "I knew it. She'll make waves, this one."**

"**She'll make waves either way." Toto shook his head a bit, and started chuckling. "Hiromi's going to be so jealous-"**

"**You're not going to tell her, are you? You know that both your wife and child can't keep secrets worth anything."**

xxXxx

Baron stared at her, and reached for his head with the hand that had held hers.

But, then it paused for a second, and reached behind his head in a bashful manner. "Where I come from, it's a form of respect for a man to kiss a woman's hand. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable."

She nervously rubbed her palm against the back of her kimono to help the tingling subside, and put on a polite smile. "Well, I guess I should be open to new ideas," she said slowly, mentally working up the needed courage. "Would you agree to the same thing?"

"Oh, absolutely," he assured her, his blue eyes shining like twin stars in the night sky.

She smiled a bit, and jumped in before she lost her nerve. "Then would you protest about training me as well as the men?"

He stared at her again, and blinked slowly. "As in, fighting with a sword?"

"Yes," she said firmly, making tiny cuts on her hands with her fingernails, to distract her from the dream that was threatening to resurface in her mind. He still looked a bit shocked at what she had proposed, so the green witch sighed and explained the situation.

"There's someone coming next spring that will be immune to my powers, so I'd like to learn how to defend myself with my body or a weapon. I'd rather be safe than sorry, considering the circumstances."

Baron's blue eyes widened a bit. "_Next _spring?"

"I know it might seem a bit hasty to start training now," Haru said in a rush and bowing politely. "But this is someone I cannot afford to underestimate. Please, Baron. If you need something more than knowledge of your cousin's fate, that won't be a problem. I'm kind of running out of options as is."

Baron stared at her, and raised one hand to cough into it self-consciously. "My cousin's location is fine, but I'll be sure to inform you if I require something else."

"Then you'll do it?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded, but his expression was grim. "I feel that I must warn you that I am not an easy instructor."

"The harder the better," was all Haru had to say in return. "I'm a fast learner."

Someone fell over behind them, followed by many other bodies. The Mountain Witch and swordsman looked over, a little stunned that a bunch of the people who were supposed to be eating breakfast were actually falling over each other around a corner, Muta and Toto actually at the bottom of the pile.

Haru sighed again, and shook her head. "If all of you have enough time to eavesdrop on me, then I'll assume that your duties are finished. How impressive, the day has just barely begun. Is it possible that you want me to give you something else, to tide the lot of you for the rest of the day? Because I would be more than happy to-"

The pile immediately dissolved, leaving only her father and her uncle crushed on the ground.

Haru laughed a little lightly while walking over to help her father up. "Works every time. Father, don't you have anything better to do?"

"I do now," he grunted, rising to his feet. "Haru, it's highly improper for a young woman to be trained in the art of war."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, and don't bother trying to talk me out of it, my mind's made up," she said while wrapping one of her father's arms around her neck. "When's my first lesson, Baron?"

He had to think about it. Physically, she was much weaker than his other students, so she called for a different method than what he was teaching everyone else. "Right after dinner," was the best he could give. "I'm afraid I'm spoken for until then."

She smiled a bit brighter than her usual guarded smile, but it still couldn't hold a candle to what he knew she could do. "Until then, Baron."

As he bowed politely, it suddenly struck him that the offer sounded suspiciously like a date. But as she left in one direction, and he in the other, he realized he had nothing to worry about. With how different their cultures were, he doubted Haru would understand the significance of the time.


	15. Curiosity

**Chapter Fifteen: Curiosity**

**The archer crashed on the couch. "I guess you're right," he mumbled. "Still, I think I'll steal one of Hiromi's kimonos for Haru. That smock isn't going to cut it."**

"**Thank you," Muta said gratefully, getting up to stir the stew. "My sewing skills aren't the best, and she deserves better than that rag."**

**Toto nodded, and kissed Haru's forehead once. "I'm sorry for everything I said about you. I didn't know." He straightened once more, and slapped Muta's shoulder while heading out the door. "I really wish my sister had chosen you instead of your brother. You'd have made a better father for her."**

"**Not that it would've taken much," the fat brunette said, his gaze distant. "Are you staying for lunch?"**

"**No. Nirami and Hiromi will worry if I don't come home soon. I'll visit again as soon as I can."**

**And with that, he was gone. **

**The little green girl watched the door close behind her dark uncle. Muta kept stirring the stew, occasionally adding more cut-up vegetables as he saw fit. **

**Haru walked over to him, and nervously nibbled her lip. "Muta?"**

"**Yes?" he answered.**

"**You wanted to be my father?"**

**His hand faltered slightly before continuing its regular pace. "Yes. I was deeply in love with your mother, and still am, but she wanted my brother." He scowled a bit. "Mute's the handsome one and I'm the fat one. It wasn't really a shocker to anyone that she chose him over me. He's the mayor around here, while I'm just a wood-cutting hermit. He's ashamed of my girth, so he never visits me." He smiled again for the little girl while filling a wooden bowl with the stew, and setting it on the table behind him to cool for a little while, since it would burn Haru's tongue. "But that's okay, we don't need him. We can get along just fine without that arrogant monster."**

**Haru smiled a bit, and took a breath for courage. "Then, **_**will **_**you be my father? You're already doing a better job than your brother is."**

**Muta stopped cold. He looked down at the little green child with defenseless eyes. "You want **_**me **_**for a daddy?" he asked her. "Fat old me?"**

**She nodded, and did something she occasionally got to see caged monkeys do, when they were lucky enough to get close to their parents. She wrapped her arms around one of his fat legs, and squeezed. "I'd rather call **_**you**_** 'Father' than the mean man that got rid of me. You're nicer. My mother must have been silly, to choose a handsome monster over you."**

**He leaned down, and squeezed her hard. Tears streamed down his face, and he wasn't a man to cry very much. Finding his neck to be an easier place to squeeze, Haru adjusted her hold a bit and squeezed him back.**

"**I'd **_**love**_** to be your daddy," he whispered, kissing her tangled hair lovingly. **

xxXxx

"Really, Chicky, I don't think it's necessary for you to take lessons from Baron," Muta said again, after his shift with the sword master. He and his daughter were now walking around the extensive orchard, appreciating the new blossoms within the branches. "I mean, by the time _he _shows up, you're gonna have an army to protect you. The boys are very enthusiastic about learning the art of war, and Baron's a good teacher."

Haru sighed tiredly, and draped one of her father's arms around her slim shoulders. "To be honest, Father, I have no idea if the swordplay will even make a difference. Just because he's immune to my powers doesn't mean that he's powerless. I'm afraid he'll brush away the fighters like flies."

"Then why did you tell me to keep a lookout for a teacher?!" he demanded.

The green witch sighed again. "Because it's better than waiting around for the inevitable to happen, and I refuse to go down without a fight. _He'll _need to learn that I'm expensive."

Muta suddenly wrapped both of his huge arms around her, and squeezed his girl possessively. "He won't succeed," he whispered angrily, kissing her soft brown hair fiercely. "I'll tear him apart if he comes within a mile of you."

Her dark eyes began to flood with unshed tears, remembering her vision with perfect clarity. She hugged him tighter, and wished for this semi-peaceful time to last forever. "Are you really going to deny me an extra chance to defend myself from him?" the Mountain Witch softly asked him, rubbing her green cheek against his broad chest. "I've told you what _he's_ planning to do to me and everyone else on both sides of the mountains."

He sighed tiredly, and squeezed her a bit harder. "All right, Chicky. I won't make a fuss anymore."

"About this," she added for him, giggling a bit. "We can always find something else to argue about, can't we?"

ooOoo

Haru sipped up the last of her soup, and neatly bit the last piece of her bread while looking at Baron, who was also finishing up his meal. He nodded politely, and got up in order to walk over to her as she got out of her own chair.

"We'll need an area with nice thick grass, and possibly some sturdy tree branches."

Haru nodded, and led the way out of the dining hall. She could distinctly hear the pitter-patter of not-so-little feet following them.

Inwardly, the green woman groaned. If the people under her care sought entertainment, couldn't they look somewhere else?

Baron managed to beat her to the sturdy door and opened it. But, he stood off to the side, like he expected her to go through first. Feeling a little uneasy, she did so, and heard the door close behind him firmly.

"Just where are you from, anyway?" she asked carefully as he caught up to her, walking at her side. "I can accept that you're from a very distant land, but where, exactly? I've never seen anyone with your manners or accent before in my life, and I've traveled pretty far."

Baron looked at her, and laughed a little hesitantly. "I'm from a village called London, but it's quite a bit bigger than any I've seen around here. There are a couple million people living there alone."

Haru's eyes nearly dropped out of their sockets. "A couple _million_? How do they all live? Where is this place located?"


	16. Confidence

**Chapter Sixteen: Confidence**

**Haru ate well that night, and was more than happy to sleep on the couch her new father had lined with blankets. For the first time in her life, the small green girl had a peaceful night's sleep, and even a soft dream.**

**She dreamed Muta really was her father. She had never even heard of the circus. Her mother was alive, and happy to love her and Muta, despite their eccentricities. **

**She dreamed of having skin as pale as snow.**

**The sound of wood crashing into the fire made her wake up, early the next morning. The tiny brunette yawned a bit as she sat up, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.**

"**Morning, Chicky! How are you feeling?"**

**She beamed brightly, and leapt off the couch to wrap her arms around his huge legs again. "Nice."**

**He chuckled a bit, and picked the green girl up to rest her on one hip. He pointed at the little bit of water that was inside the fairly big cauldron. "Can you do something for me, Haru?"**

**She nodded enthusiastically.**

"**One trick your mom used to do was multiplying something. That means you take something, and make more of it. With that water, can you make more?" He had originally wanted to just go get more, but with howling fanatics running everywhere, there was no way in heck he was about to leave his self-proclaimed daughter alone. **

**She frowned, and looked at the shallow pool at the bottom. "I can try," the green girl said dubiously, concentrating hard as her eyes turned white once more.**

**Slowly, oh so slowly, the level of the water began to rise, and then sped up about half-way.**

"**Hold it, that's plenty," Muta said quickly, making those beautiful brown eyes gain their color once more. He kissed her forehead, and started the fire below.**

"**Why did you need so much water?" She had learned by now that Muta wouldn't hit her for asking questions, or for any reason. **

**The fat woodcutter smiled evilly. "You're very dirty, Haru. I'm not one to make a fuss about a little dirt, but you really need a bath in the near future."**

"**Does it hurt?" she asked nervously as he lathered a little soap into the cauldron.**

xxXxx

Haru's new sensei sighed. "Well, a good majority of them live in huge buildings that are made up of individual homes. To have a house to yourself is a very expensive luxury there, but I'd be terribly impressed if you could pay a visit there."

She quirked an eyebrow at him while turning a corner of a stone wall. "Why do you say that?"

He bit his lip nervously. "This is going to sound a little strange, but would you happen to recall a tornado that passed through here about a month ago?"

She thought carefully as she leaned against a huge tree's trunk, and a songbird came to rest on her shoulder, to tweet softly in her ear. "I'm afraid not. We are usually spared from natural disasters on this side of the mountains. Was the tornado important?" Haru asked while gently rubbing the bird's head with one finger affectionately.

Her dark-haired companion nodded, gazing at her again. "Well, I'm not quite sure how it happened, but a tornado came to my area when I was driving around in my trailer, and it picked me up and carried me here. It's a miracle that I'm still alive, but the trailer was a wreck."

The Mountain Witch quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering what question to ask first. "What's a trailer?" she finally inquired.

Baron's dark eyebrows shot up a bit as he tried to think of an answer that she would understand. "Well, the one I had was a very small house on wheels that I could drive around in. I usually used it for tournaments and vacations, but I-."

"How can you put a house on wheels?" she suddenly interrupted, forgetting completely about the lesson she was _supposed_ to be having. "How many horses did you need to harness in order to move it?"

Baron outright laughed, as the absurd picture of horses trying to drag a house jumped into his mind. "It didn't require horses, Lady Haru. It had a motor."

"Motor?" she asked, wondering if he was speaking another language.

He nodded, sighing a bit. "This is a little difficult for me to explain. Is there a way that you can lift the image from my mind, like you did before?"

The slimmer brunette was stunned. "You don't mind?"

"I think I can trust you not to browse into other things."

Strangely feeling a little hesitant, she raised one hand as he closed his baby blue eyes in order to visualize better. She gently touched his brow, reawakening some of the sparks that were still left in her arm from his earlier kiss.

What she saw was amazing. Baron may not have known everything about what made a trailer move, but it was enough to satisfy her curiosity.

At least, in _that _regard.

The Mountain Witch put her arm down, and beamed at her instructor. "I bet we could do that!"

He stared at her as his jaw made the familiar descent to the ground. "I beg your pardon?!"

The green woman started pacing around the man as the wild smile on her face grew wider and wider.

It wasn't her true smile yet, but it was a very significant improvement.

"We could transport supplies a lot faster to the supply towers, and to the people, if we didn't have to push or pull the carts in order to do it! There aren't very many horses over here, so this would be an excellent solution!"

"Can you refine that much metal?" he asked incredulously. She shrugged her shoulder a bit.

"That's not really important. I'm stealing the idea, not the construction. And I can bet that _my _version will be a lot quieter than yours!" She grinned again at him, and began pulling him back inside the castle by his arm, so they could start on blue prints. There was a lot of work to do, if she wanted this idea to work.

Behind her, Baron was laughing at her enthusiasm. "If you _can _build a more efficient automobile, I will be most impressed, Lady Haru."

She looked back at him, and just smiled again as she dragged him through the door. _'Then prepare to be impressed, my lord.'_


	17. Enthusiasm

**Chapter Seventeen: Enthusiasm**

"**Not if you don't make a fuss. I hated baths when I was your age, but my Ma could wrestle me into one any time she felt like it. Sometimes, she would even just throw me into a river. But those are really cold, and I thought you'd enjoy a warm one better." He smiled impishly, making the tiny green girl giggle a bit.**

"**Well, what do I have to do?"**

**There was a banging sound on the door. "Muta?! I know you're in there!"**

**The fat man quickly looked at his new daughter. "**_**Hide**_**," he mouthed. **

**She immediately got the message, and swiftly dove under the bed as he made to answer the door.**

"**What is it? Oh, hello Yoshi."**

"**Hi. Have you seen a little green girl running around here?"**

**Muta scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Ya know, Toto asked me the same thing yesterday. The answer's still no, though. Still haven't found her, eh?"**

**The tall farmer shook his head angrily. "Whatever she is, she's very good at hiding. Just so you know, the circus owner's willing to pay ten gold pieces for her, so I'd keep an eye out if I were you. The girl's a murderer."**

"**Thanks, Yoshi, but I'd really like to get along with washing my laundry. If I wanted gold and fancy stuff, I would have stayed in town."**

**The farmer laughed wryly. "Yes, the whole village likes to talk about that. Well, take care of yourself, Muta. Good woodcutters are hard to find, especially nowadays."**

**The brunette nodded at the compliment, and bolted the door shut again. "It should be safe this time, Haru."**

**The little green girl wiggled out of her spot again, and headed for the cauldron. But then another insistent knocking came to the door, sending the tiny brunette back into her hiding place. **

**Muta growled impatiently. "**_**Now **_**who is it?!" he demanded.**

"**Your brother," the voice answered curtly. "Open the door."**

**The fat brunette's face contorted in fury as the girl underneath the gigantic bed began to tremble with fear. "Go away, Mute. I don't know where the kid is."**

"**Open up anyway. You need to join the hunt, brother."**

**He growled again, and threw the bolt aside so he could yell directly into the face of the man on the other side. "Oh yeah, **_**now **_**you visit me and call me brother. But when the holidays are around, do I even get a hello? I don't think so."**

"**Please, Muta," the voice said tiredly as he began stepping forward, obviously trying to get into the house. "Now is not the time for your theatrics. There's a green freak out there that's killed the elder Mr. Hatachi, and maimed several others."**

"**I never liked circus people anyway," Muta said dismissively. "If you want her, **_**you **_**go find her then. She's done nothing to offend me, and my laundry needs to get washed, so go away before I toss you into a river again. You could use a little cooling off."**

"**I am the **_**mayor**_**!" the man yelled. "If you dare to treat me like we're still children, I'll have you thrown in the town prison!"**

xxXxx

To be frank about it, Baron didn't have that much certainty that Haru would be able to pull off her little scheme with a wooden automobile, but he was enjoying her enthusiasm too much to say anything to dampen it.

And he really wasn't sure if she'd make any good as a warrior. She had determination and anger, but he truly wasn't sure if it would make a difference.

He hated lying to her. Yes, he had told her most of the truth about himself, but even if he could find a way to let her see him as he really was, he couldn't be all that sure that she would give him a chance to explain himself.

He had yet to hear _her _version of what was supposed to happen between them, and he was most anxious for the experience.

Haru struggled outside one day during practice, when the clouds were beginning to darken. She was carrying around a strange sort of net that seemed to have all sorts of gems woven into the gleaming strands. She was also wearing the green kimono and cloak that she had been wearing when he first saw her.

Unable to contain his curiosity, the sword-sensei broke off practice to go see what she was up to. He ran up to her as she began stretching the huge net over the soft grass. "What on earth are you doing?" he asked her, only earning a grin for his inquiry.

"There's a lightning storm coming. Could you tell everyone to lay low for a while?"

"What does the lightning storm have to do with this net?" he asked, walking to the other side so he could help her lay it flat in a long line. As he handled it, he realized that the net was actually made of wire instead of rope, like it had once served for fishing.

"I'm going to shift into a dragon, hold this net close, and charge into the clouds. Not only will it keep our land from becoming damaged, but then the jewels can get a nice power boost."

"Power boost? For what?" he asked, slowly realizing the level of danger she was planning on throwing herself into.

"You said very clearly that vehicles need a power source in order to move, and that's the gems. The wire is just to make sure that the power is evenly distributed-"

He stormed over to her, and put two fingers on those soft green lips. The Mountain Witch immediately stopped talking, and her eyes went pretty wide.

"You're going to _electrocute _yourself?"

Some life came back into those glorious brown eyes, and she nodded. "It wouldn't be the first time, Baron. I actually like the experience."

The young swordsman ran one hand through his thick dark hair in irritation. "You _enjoy _flirting with death?"

Her eyes suddenly went dark, and sad. She straightened the last corner, and brushed a few blades of grass from her kimono. "I don't flirt, Baron. Ever. I've been riding lightning storms for two years now for power boosts, and I haven't gotten hurt once. I'll be just fine, I assure you." She stepped back from him as her cloak began to billow with an unseen wind, and gain some structure within the folds.

Baron took a few steps closer as she began changing shape. As she swelled in size, he placed one hand on her scaly leg, to try reasoning with her again.

He was immediately rewarded with several long slashes across his palm from the sharp scales. The dark youth bit back a cry, and took a few steps back, staring at his bleeding hand. _'I guess that explains why her cousin didn't ride on her back. There goes one childhood fantasy.'_

Haru looked down at him after the change was complete, a bit of hurt in her own eyes. A strange sigh that echoed through the valley issued through her large throat, and she lowered a clawed hand down to the sword master.


	18. Puzzlement

**Chapter Eighteen: Puzzlement**

"**If you can catch me," Muta taunted evilly. "Now go away. I have chores to do, and I'm not going to answer the door anymore for the rest of the day. Have fun hunting the green child!"**

**With that, he slammed the door into his brother's face, slid the bolt and a second one in place for good measure before walking over to the bed as the man continued to rant.**

"**You can't shut me out forever, Muta! You may have moved away from the village, but you still have loyalties there! Come out and do your duty!"**

"**Keep quiet, okay Haru?" Muta whispered softly to the green girl as he gently took the smock off, and eased her into the perfectly warmed water. She nodded, and just sat still as he gently rubbed the remaining dirt away with a wet washcloth, and poured cup after cup of water over her head, to help rinse out her filthy hair as her biological father ranted outside. **

**The more Haru listened to the man, the more she disliked him. How could he try to order Muta around like that?! And to hunt her down, his own daughter?!**

**Although she was certain that her new father wouldn't approve, the tiny girl smiled evilly, and made her eyes turn white as the grime was washed from her delicate body.**

"**For crying out loud, Muta! Just because Naoko loved me, and not you, doesn't give you the right to ignore me…" his voice began to trail off, but it wasn't because he was walking away.**

**Muta looked up at the door, and made a step to see what was wrong. But then he remembered his little green charge, and stayed close to the cauldron. He sighed happily at the new sound. "Silence! That was what I came out here for!"**

**An angry foot kicked the door, and began to stomp off. **

**The fat woodcutter looked down at his daughter again. "Did you do that?" he whispered. **

**She nodded. **

**He laughed again, and poured another cup of water over her head. "I hate to say this, Haru, but with all these weirdoes running around, it might be safer for both of us if we either speak in whispers or don't talk at all. Can you manage that?"**

"**Yes, Father," she whispered, just loudly enough for him to hear her. **

**He grinned again, and lifted her out of the tub. He began rubbing her body down with a dry towel, but then chose to wrap her frail form with one of the blankets in a toga style, rather than make her put on the despicable smock again. Muta wanted to toss the rag out, but then realized that it might clue searchers in onto Haru's true location. **

**He settled for stuffing the rag into the corner of his bed that met up with the corner of the walls. Hesitantly, he took out a comb.**

"**I don't think you're going to like this next part, Chicky. Your hair needs to be combed, and I can tell from over here that it's going to be very painful."**

xxXxx

At first, Baron thought that Haru was going to grab him in her huge hand, but it paused in front of him, and one of her talons, which was a bit bigger than his head, was about level to his chest. Baron stared at it, and then looked up at that dragon face of hers.

She seemed to smile a bit, and she nudged him softly on the chest with the side of her talon. Feeling a bit apprehensive, he placed his bleeding hand on the gleaming white claw.

What happened next was perhaps one of the strangest things to happen to him to date. His hand felt like it was first on fire, then on ice, followed by a pleasant buzzing as the pain vanished completely.

Haru withdrew her hand to pick up the long net as Baron looked at his own hand once more. Long white scars were now lying across his palm, but at least there was no more bleeding.

He looked up at her, and smiled warmly. "Thank you," he said warmly, remembering a second too late that she probably couldn't hear him from up there.

But despite the fact, she seemed to smile warmly at him, and nodded her head in acknowledgement before spreading her wings out and gripping the bejeweled net between her claws.

Once again, he spotted something dark and strange around one of her sharp talons, like a birthmark or a tattoo.

Baron should have known better than to try to get a better look at the finger. He should have realized what would happen when she began beating her wings, but it didn't hit him until the rush of wind knocked him to the ground. As he lay there, struggling to breathe, he watched the green dragon sail higher and higher into the sky, and make a beeline for the darkening clouds.

She was just so _amazing_!

'_Oh, Haru…' _he thought wistfully. _'What I would give, if I could share just one flight with you. It must be so wonderful up there.'_

After what felt like eternity, Muta's face leaned over him a bit. "You okay, Baron?" he asked, grabbing him by the shoulder in order to drag the young sensei to his feet.

The dark youth nodded numbly, unable to keep his eyes off the green dragon as she sailed around the clouds, searching for lightning to collect. "She'll be all right, won't she?" he asked, unable to conceal his concern.

Muta looked up at his soaring daughter, and smiled lovingly as his eyes faded into a place unknown. "I nearly had a heart attack the first time she got struck with lightning, but don't worry about her, Baron. Sometimes you just have to trust her when she says she knows what she's doing. It's tough to stay down here when she puts herself in harm's way for others, but there's not a whole lot we can do about it. Speaking of which, Baron…"

The young man looked up at the huge man, a little alarmed to see the amount of emotion in the father's face.

"I know you've been talking to Haru about where you're from, and she keeps getting ideas from you about improving life around here a bit, but please do me a favor. Just stick to training her. It's all well and good to improve on making things even easier for the people, but to be honest, that kind of thing can wait until after…" The fat man bit down hard on his tongue as a look of extreme anguish took over his features.

Baron looked at him as his own heart seemed to turn to lead. "Until after next spring?"

"Yes," the older man said reluctantly. "Would you do that for me?"

The young teacher nodded a bit, and took a breath for courage. "Just out of curiosity, who is this enemy? It seems to me that Haru is already more than capable of protecting herself and her people, so why is my sword instruction to the people even necessary?"

Muta chuckled darkly. "I can't tell ya that. Haru made me promise not to tell anyone. Just believe me when I say this enemy's a serious threat."

"But _why_?" Baron persisted as a bit of anger welled up inside him, for being unknowingly and unfairly despised. "What's so dangerous about him? Would Hiromi tell me? She saw that vision as well, didn't she?"


	19. Faith

**Chapter Nineteen: Faith**

**Haru bit back another cry as Muta tried to untangle one of the bigger knots.**

"**For crying out loud! Has no one ever combed your hair before?!" he whispered angrily.**

"**N-no," the tiny green girl struggled to say without screaming. Although the pain was different than what she was used to, it was not pleasant to have her scalp attacked in such a manner.**

**Muta dipped the comb in a bowl of water again, thinking. "There **_**has **_**to be an easier way to do this," he muttered. He did not care for the girl's cries at all.**

**Suddenly, the girl brightened. "Can I see the comb, Father?"**

**He wordlessly handed it over. The delicate brunette examined the simple wooden comb, which was more than likely carved by her new father. Thoughtfully, she began rubbing it, every part that her little fingers could reach. **

**Muta stared in amazement as the ash-wood comb began taking on a silvery sheen that was a little bit more intense than what was usually seen in ordinary wood.**

**Finally, when the wood almost seemed metallic, she handed the comb back to Muta, smiling softly. "Try again, but slowly," she implored, turning her head to his advantage. **

**Sighing, he took a gentle hold of her head with one hand, and placed the comb in her scalp again. Before his amazed eyes, the hair began to untangle itself as the teeth of the comb went through the hair, from roots to ends. Within ten minutes, the girl's dark brown hair seemed to double in length, now that it wasn't being held in place by assorted tangles and knots. Where it had just barely graced her shoulders, it now flowed down her little back in a soft waterfall. And the girl hadn't so much as flinched.**

"_**Much **_**better," Muta approved, setting the comb aside and turning Haru around in her chair so he could look at her.**

**The resemblance between her and her mother was almost staggering now. Once the dark bruises faded, she would look like a regular little girl, except for her green skin. **

**He grinned again, and kissed her forehead lovingly. "I knew the real you was under that dirt mask."**

xxXxx

Muta stared at him again. "Hiromi made the same promise I did, but if you wanna know that badly, why don't you just ask _her_?" He inclined his head to the dragon above, who just at that moment began to sparkle magically as lightning rippled through her body happily.

Baron bit back a yell as Muta calmly chuckled. "It's _her _secret, after all, and she respects you. She may or may not tell, but she's the best chance you've got to figure out why the green-eyed man is such a menace. Those that know the whole story are under an oath to never tell."

Baron's mind seemed to numb, as he stared entranced as the net between the witch's talons also glowed with lightning as she uttered a roar of triumph.

It was so strange that he found her breathtakingly beautiful, even like this.

"She respects me?" he asked softly, hardly daring to believe it.

Muta laughed a bit, and slammed one hand against Baron's shoulder to bring his soaring spirit back down to earth. "Of course she does. You're a good honest teacher and warrior, and she needs you to help her against the _real _monster. Also… she smiles more often when you're around. Does she need a better reason, or the rest of us, for that matter?"

The dark youth felt like the witch's father had slammed one fat fist into his stomach, and he wanted to start vomiting.

It wasn't like he didn't _want _to tell everyone the truth.

It… was just…

ooOoo

It was well after midnight by the time the lightning storm disintegrated enough in order to showcase the glimmering stars in the dark night. Haru gave a parting shriek to the remaining tendrils of lightning, the ones that she had deemed too small to gather.

Feeling giddy, she began spiraling gracefully down in order to land on the soft grass. She dropped her net on the ground, and fell on her back as she slowly reverted into her usual form, gasping softly as an ecstatic smile took over her face.

This was one of her favorite parts of being a witch, and she savored every moment of absolute freedom.

She gazed at the twinkling stars as sleep threatened to overwhelm her. The green woman wasn't all that concerned, she was just as comfortable on the grass as she was on her bed, and sometimes even preferred sleeping outside, since there was no one in her realm that would ever wish her harm.

Just as she was about to close her eyes and surrender to slumber, Baron's familiar face appeared over her, true concern evident.

"Are you all right, Lady Haru?" he asked worriedly.

She giggled a bit and sat up. "Of course. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"Ah. I see." Without a further word, he leaned down, and picked her up with ease.

"Hey!" she protested as he began to walk towards her castle, cradling her between her arms. "What about the net?"

"I'll get it after you're taken care of. Just trust me."

Haru wanted to grumble a bit, but… it felt _nice _to be held like this. Only her true father had ever held her so close.

So… safe. Well, if he didn't have a problem with touching her, then she didn't have one about touching him beyond the occasional brow brush either.

"All right, but you're _not _escorting me to my room."

"Most certainly not!" he protested as his pale skin ripened to a cherry red. "Even if your room's in a tower, I think certain proprieties should be observed!"

Haru cocked her head at him a bit, a little surprised that he was reacting like that over the slip of words. "That's not the way I would have said it, but it gets the point across. But now at least you know better than to panic every time I run straight into a lightning storm? Or fly, I guess?"

The hand on her waist tightened slightly, perhaps a silent remembrance of the long scars she had accidentally given him but a few hours earlier. Her father also had long white scars from her scales, but she was too polite to even _remember_ where they were.

Many things can be ridden, but dragons are not one of those things. That was one of the first things she had learned about her scaly shape after assuming the form. Baron sighed a little, and smiled at her.

"I think I'll still protest a bit, but at least I won't fear for your life over this kind of thing. I guess your father was right. I _should_ trust you when you say you know what you're doing."

Something strange and hot seemed to be injected into her bloodstream, and flooded throughout her body like a tidal wave, making her body temperature rise to a dangerous level.

Baron watched with carefully concealed amusement as the minty face staring back at him began turning a dark emerald thanks to an unexpected blush.


	20. Worry

**Chapter Twenty: Worry**

**As the sun set that night, something strange happened inside the mayor of Raven's Hill. He coughed twice, and massaged his throat as the fire within it ceased. He drank once more from the pitcher and tried talking again.**

"**Ahhh…. Agh!" he sighed. He shook his head a bit more, and set the pitcher down. "That could quite possibly have been the strangest thing to happen to me."**

**But… why had he lost his voice like that? He used to be able to yell at his brother for hours, so how come he didn't even last ten minutes this time? **

**He growled, and sat down for his meal. His maid had brought it in a bit earlier, but he couldn't focus on food without his voice.**

**After all, what's a politician without his voice?**

**Now… what to do about the green girl? He set down his fork, and closed his eyes to think.**

**She **_**had **_**to be somewhere in the area. The younger Mr. Hatachi had been clear that the girl was barefoot, and had no survival skills, thanks to her life in a cage. He growled menacingly, and began pacing the room.**

**How could a six-year old freak outsmart every man in the village?! Where could she possibly be hiding?!**

**Tomorrow. **

**Tomorrow, he would approach his older brother for help again. No one knew those woods like he did. If Muta joined the hunt, sweet victory would be theirs.**

xxXxx

"Y-yeah. I can handle lightning storms," Haru said a little hesitantly, like she was afraid to stumble over her own words as Baron managed to open a small side door to her castle with the same hand that was now scarred, balancing her back expertly with his wrist and arm. He smiled warmly as he began lightly stepping down the hall, so as not to disturb those who were already sleeping.

But, then suddenly, he looked away from her face, and concentrated on something in her midsection.

A little puzzled, she looked down, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Is something bothering you?" she asked curiously.

He nodded a bit, looking at her hands. "I've been noticing that black mark on one of your fingers since you returned last week. Would it happen to be a birthmark of some sort?"

Her blood turned cold as she hurriedly covered the finger with her other hand. "It's nothing to be worried about," she said hastily, trying to think of a way to explain the twin black lines that circled each other around her finger. "It's a…"

Blast it, why wouldn't a story come to her when she needed it to? She was a rotten liar from the beginning, but she didn't want to share the true importance of the strange mark with anyone.

Baron was waiting patiently, now at the foot of her tower. But he obviously wasn't going to put her down until he heard what she had to say. His eyes seemed so stern right now, like he knew what she was trying to do. "Yes?" he asked pointedly.

The green woman sighed in defeat, and told him the truth. "It's a reminder that the green-eyed man gave me, when we met three months ago."

Baron nearly dropped her in surprise. "You've _met _him?!"

She nodded, feeling a little amused at his almost violent reaction. "Come on, do you really think I'd be going through all these security measures unless I was absolutely certain that this guy was a serious threat?" Her blood ran cold, thinking about the terrible encounter. "On second thought, Baron, would you mind just holding the net safe for me? I shouldn't have let myself get so easily distracted from being your pupil."

He nodded dimly, although his eyes were a little wild, for some reason. "How did you meet him?" he asked sternly, making her blood feel almost like ice.

"I'd really rather not talk about it," she whispered, unable to disguise a slight tremor in her tone.

Baron sighed a bit, some irritation present in the gesture. "Haru, please. I've been hearing everything from 'he'll kill you' to 'binding your power' or even 'enslaving you', but I'd like to hear directly from _you _what's going to happen when he comes. Just trust me."

Just trust me.

It was a fairly simple phrase, but at the same time so _complicated_! Sure, she liked Baron as a good friend, but… to tell him about _that_?! Her father was fond of breaking furniture into firewood at the mere thought of what the green-eyed man was planning to do with her.

But then again… Baron was preparing her troops for that terrible confrontation. She still had no idea if his contributions would make a noticeable difference in the fight, but… maybe if Baron had a complete understanding of what they were facing, he would throw himself completely into his work, if he hadn't already done so.

Yes. Perhaps Baron _did _need to know precisely what was at stake.

"If I show you, will you promise not to tell anyone?" she asked softly. "It's pretty personal, and the reasons I gave everyone to fear the green-eyed man were as much as they really needed to know."

He nodded firmly, and perhaps unconsciously squeezed her a bit.

Or maybe it _wasn't _unconsciously.

"I know how to keep a secret, Haru. You can trust me."

She sighed a bit. "Can I tell you in the morning? I'm a little wiped out right now."

Baron nodded gently, having suspected as much. He was just laying down the groundwork so that she would tell him later. He set her down gently next to the curtained doorway, instinctively knowing that she would want to tackle the stairs on her own. "Meet me at the place where I was supposed to train you?" he asked.

She nodded, stretching a little before pulling aside the curtain that led to her tower. "Probably an hour after sunrise. Don't worry about your chores tomorrow. I'll organize a Random Day."

"Random Day?" he couldn't help but ask.

She laughed at him a bit, lingering in the doorway. "Those are days when I 'randomly' give everyone on this side of the mountains the day off work, usually once a month. There are usually a few parties and such scattered around my realm, and I doubt you'll be in a teaching mood after I tell you precisely what's going on. Good night, Baron."

He smiled at her, but then gently touched her hand so he could kiss it again. The sparks made their entry through Haru's body, but this time with a content calmness, like it had all the time in the world.

She didn't jump again, but her heart began to pitter-patter uneasily as Baron gave a last farewell, and started walking down the hallway to collect the electrified net. As she let the curtain fall back over the doorway behind her, her mind suddenly jumped, and she wheeled around to pull it aside again to look at Baron.

"Don't touch the net with your bare hands!" she called to his retreating form. Although it was fun for _her _to play with lightning bolts, other people seemed to suffer dearly for trying the same, even when electricity was in a subdued form. Even her witch cousin left such activities to the green woman.

Baron looked over his shoulder, and smiled that beautiful smile that made her feel unusually warm again. "I know."


	21. Respect

**Chapter Twenty One: Respect**

"**Now really, dear," Nirami said while loading a strawberry and rhubarb pie into her wicker basket. "I think everyone's exaggerating the green child incident. More than likely all those men tripped over themselves trying to catch her, and just want to blame her for their injuries. Besides, with how constant the searches have been, I doubt she's anywhere in the area."**

"**I'd really rather you girls stay home," Toto said nervously, adjusting his bag on one shoulder nervously. "I mean, anything can happen-"**

"**Toto," his wife said firmly. "We're all going. That's final."**

"**Yeah!" their tiny daughter piped up, cuddling a white kitten close. "I want to show Uncle Muta my new kitty!"**

**Toto bit his lip nervously as he slung his bow and arrows over his shoulders, just in case. **_**'I hope Haru will keep quiet this time.'**_

xxXxx

The next morning, Baron was up at first light. He quickly dressed in his usual gray kimono, which strangely reminded him of his favorite outfit back at his first home, and walked quickly to the dining hall for breakfast.

A strange bell began to chime triumphantly, a completely different tune than when Haru and her apprentice witch (who didn't really take her position seriously) had returned from their last errand.

As the dark youth strolled into the dining hall, he found the place even more alive than usual, with people gathered in groups as they tried to talk and eat at the same time. Baron passed them, catching stray sentences about lighting and proper food for that evening. Evidently, Haru had not been exaggerating when she spoke of parties. He sat down next to Muta, and helped himself to the eggs and biscuits.

He and Toto's branch of the family traditionally ate at separate tables, to keep their feud from interrupting everyone's mealtimes. Hiromi was giggling a bit as she placed another fried egg in front of a handsome young man that was sitting next to her, though strangely looking in the dark swordsman's direction frequently. Baron had yet to see the lighter cousin do so much as light a candle with her power, but he had been assured many times that she was indeed a witch.

She just didn't pursue her gift with her darker cousin's enthusiasm, or even any enthusiasm. Hiromi seemed content with her quiet job of organizing people to jobs and shifts, since it allowed her plenty of time to break a few hearts. Toto was with his wife, arguing loudly over which musicians should have the honor of performing in this hallway tonight.

"Did ya hear?" Muta said excitedly to his breakfast partner, putting away his notes for now. "Random Day!"

"I know," Baron said calmly as he carefully cut the egg into neat portions. "Haru said she would declare one last night. Thank you for the advice, Muta. She promised to tell me everything today after she was finished sleeping."

Muta stared at him, allowing a full fork to slip out of his porky grasp. "It _worked_?!" he whispered.

"Naturally," Baron said before biting into his buttered biscuit, and wishing for time to pass by faster, so that she would wake up. As he quietly but quickly ate, the fat ex-woodcutter continued to stare at the young sensei next to him.

'_Haru must respect him more than I thought, if she's gonna tell him what's __**really**__ at stake. Or is it something else that she feels for him? Baron… you better not be planning anything that'll hurt my baby girl. Please be what you appear to be. Haru won't be able to survive another Machida, and she has the green-eyed man to worry about.'_

ooOoo

After finishing his meal, Baron bowed politely to his breakfast companion, and nearly ran out the door, much to the puzzlement of everyone in the room, since he didn't have any duties for the day. With some level of nervousness, he sat next to the tree trunk that they had discussed the night before, to wait for the Mountain Witch's grand appearance.

He knew it was pointless, since she would probably be sleeping for a while yet, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. Without any lessons to teach, he almost felt directionless.

But he had been through such troubles before, and it had worked out all right. Granted, not the way he would've expected, but still favorably, at least.

He sighed, and looked up into the outstretching branches that crisscrossed themselves.

Soon, he would discover just what it was about him that was so terrifying to the poor girl. Surely, all this worry was just a misunderstanding. Even before he realized who she really was, he was reluctant to actually spill her blood by any means.

Nay, if anything, he would gladly lay his life at her feet. And if that's what it took, then he would do it without hesitation.

Or… even if she asked him to leave, he would do it, if that was what she really wanted. He hated himself for keeping any secret from her, but knew better than to rush into an explanation that she might not understand even a little bit past his true appearance.

Not that she wasn't smart or anything…

He groaned, and closed his eyes in anguish.

If only she would just get here, so that he could clear up the misunderstanding!

"Wow, Baron. If I had known that the delay was causing you actual pain, I would have flown down here."

His baby blue eyes shot open and widened a bit as Haru grinned down at him from her perch on a low-hanging branch and was dressed once more in a plain brown kimono. He realized that her unique skin tone would have led to some restrictions as to flattering attire, but the dark youth somehow felt certain that fashion wasn't the only reason for her wardrobe choice. She'd look great in red or black, but they weren't really _her _colors. Her personality was a bit more subtle than that. Blue perhaps, or maybe yellow.

He smiled a bit, and laughed at himself over such thoughts. "I wouldn't have complained, that's for certain. Now then, what's so terrifying about the green-eyed man?"

Haru took a deep breath for courage. "I guess I should start at the beginning, shouldn't I?"

"It would be an agreeable idea."

"Well," she sighed, and was silent for a few minutes, obviously thinking about how to put her story. Slowly she raised one hand to her face, and traced the long scar that ran down her fair face. "You've noticed my scar, haven't you?"

Baron nodded, feeling a little incredulous. "Did _he_ give it to you?"

The slim brunette bit back a bitter laugh. "No. This was a parting gift from a fellow named Machida." Her heart began to freeze up again, but she forced the story out of herself before she could change her mind. "About three months before you came here, this Machida was courting me. He had me convinced that he loved me, and that I should trust him with anything and everything. And I loved him, too. I thought I had finally found someone that could look past this ugly green hide the way Father could-"

"It's not ugly!" Baron said indignantly, suddenly standing up so that he could be at a closer eye level with the green woman.


	22. Revelation

**Chapter Twenty Two: Revelation**

**Almost before reaching the cottage, Nirami could tell something was up. For one, her husband didn't just burst through the door as per usual. **

**Toto knocked loudly. "Muta?! My family and I decided to come by for a visit!" he said loudly.**

"**Why didn't you just walk in again, Daddy?" Hiromi asked in a confused manner, scratching her kitten's ears softly. **

**The dark archer laughed nervously. "Ever since people started banging on Muta's door day and night, he's been locking himself in, so I don't have a choice. You're in there, right Muta?!"**

"**Yeah, yeah," the fat woodcutter mumbled as he opened the door wide. "Now wasn't the best time for a visit, but ah well. Hey, Chicky."**

"**Hi, Uncle Muta!" She giggled with delight as he picked her up and hugged softly. "I got a new kitty, see?" The tiny lighter brunette held up the even tinier white kitten. "Her name's Yuki!"**

"**Hey, Yuki," Muta said uncertainly as Toto and Nirami looked around the cottage with amazement.**

"**Muta, what happened to your sheets? And all the cooking utensils?" the slim woman asked.**

**The cottage looked very forlorn, without all the tiny touches that made it a home. **

**Toto looked at the two bulging sacks close to the door. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked worriedly. **

**Muta flinched as he set the light brunette down, who in turn set her kitten down so she could explore. "Yeah. I'm getting sick of Mute banging on my door, day and night, trying to convince me to hunt down a kid just because she's green. I came out here for peace and quiet, but with all these searchers around, I'm not going to be getting any more of that here."**

"**Are you gonna move even farther away?" Hiromi asked, on the verge of tears as her kitten sniffed its way closer to the giant bed in the corner of the cottage. **

**The fat man sighed while bolting the door back in place. "Yes. I'm not sure where I'm going, but if I stay here any longer, I'm gonna lose it, and not in a pretty way."**

"**What are you gonna lose?" Hiromi asked as her unobserved kitten slipped underneath the bed.**

"**My temper. Trust me, Chicky, you don't want to see me when I lose my temper."**

**Yuki shriek-hissed as she bolted from underneath the bed, and ran straight for her young mistress, trembling like no one's business. **

**The mother looked down at the kitten as she began rubbing insistently against her daughter's leg. "What on earth is under there?" she asked suspiciously, walking toward the bed. **

xxXxx

Haru quirked an eyebrow at her dark instructor, and rolled up one sleeve for his benefit. Faintly, he could see the remnants of very old white scars, possibly gained when she was but a child.

"I'm the color of a sour apple, Baron," the brunette said patiently, like she was educating a child with a slow mind. "I've successfully passed myself off for a big frog or part of a grass field for protection from mobs without using any magic at all. Because of this accursed hide, I've been hunted and mistreated like a bloodthirsty monster pretty much as far back as I can remember, and no matter how good I am or how much I help people, I'm always going to be viewed as a vile witch that someone should just get rid of for good. You can't tell me that this hide I'm stuck in isn't ugly, Baron."

He looked at her with such tender eyes, somehow sensing just how much sorrow and rage she was _still_ hiding from him. Very deliberately, the dark haired man reached up, and gently brought the bare arm low enough for inspection. Since that was a very awkward position for Haru, she slipped off the branch. With a start, she realized just how close she physically was to Baron, who didn't seem to notice her newfound nervousness as he gravely looked at the physical marks 'civilized society' had left on this rare and wonderful woman.

Making a few things known to the green woman was a lot more important right now than hearing about an encounter that may or may not have anything to do with Baron.

"Do you know what I see?" he asked, moving both hands to the upper part of her arm. "I can clearly see strong muscles here, more than likely gained from all those orphaned children that you carry around in the middle of the night for comfort, when they have a nightmare and you can somehow hear their cries, even from your tower."

Haru's heart froze. "How did you find out about that?" she whispered.

Baron shrugged as he moved his hands below her elbow. "The younger children I teach can't stop praising you for being their surrogate mother. Right here, I see some old scars. They were probably not deserved, but you got them anyway. But they've healed considerably, and you've learned more about the darker side of life than you probably should have been aware of. You've also learned how to avoid getting more scars, for the most part."

With a start, she remembered Mr. Hatachi. He _had _died, just by receiving the same treatment he had given her. But she was still alive.

"And here," Baron said softly as both of his hands caressed both of hers between them. "There is a lot of strength in these hands, and hard-earned calluses from work. You never really needed all these people to wash your clothes, harvest your food, or even be over here. I've seen what you can do, Haru, and I am more than certain that you could have provided for yourself and your family just fine with an occasional flick of the wrist and whatnot." He smiled at her again, and kissed those callused fingers softly.

"But instead, you chose to share this nearly boundless paradise with anyone that would accept you the way you are. You hunt out others that need a loving home, and then give them one. You work tirelessly from sunrise to sunset, sometimes even longer, to make sure that everyone in your realm is warm, fed, and happy. Although such knowledge isn't critical for you, you try to have at least a tentative understanding of how every possible occupation works, even harvesting wheat or treating the wounded. You don't even bother with a currency. Everyone gets their fair share, no matter what. And that marriage ceremony you invented for your people is in many ways more binding than the ones on the other side of the mountains." He broke off his inspection of her hands to look deep into her beautiful and defenseless eyes.

A part of her felt terrified, and yet at peace, all at the same time. No one had _ever _looked at her like this before. Her heart began pounding faster, and faster as Baron leaned closer, and brushed her cheek with his lips oh so softly, making her blush emerald again.

"If there's anything ugly about you, Haru, it's the way others are bent on treating you. If they want to be blind and self-righteous, go ahead and let them be that way. You already have the people that can tell who the real monsters are, and it isn't exactly accidental that they adore _you_ instead of the ones they used to serve. If more leaders were like you, this world would be a much better place for everyone. Please don't ever put yourself down like that again. It's uncalled for."

ooOoo

Within earshot of the massive tree was a long stone wall that was absolutely _filled _with nosy but well-meaning people that couldn't resist spying on what could easily have been the two most powerful people in the realm.

At the very edge of the wall, Muta was beaming proudly as he struggled not to let any tears of gratitude show. _'Atta boy, Baron. Maybe she'll listen when __**you**__ say it.'_


	23. Comfort

**Chapter Twenty Three: Comfort**

**Muta and Toto looked at each other with horror, and ran to the bed, covering the floor in front of it with their bodies.**

"**Nothing! Nothing at all!" Muta laughed nervously. "That cat probably saw an old piece of meat or something and thought it was alive."**

"**Is there a rat under there?" Nirami asked suspiciously, since she knew for a fact that Yuki didn't react like that unless it was an emergency.**

"**No, there's no rat," Toto stammered. "Just… stuff and…"**

**A mewing came from the foot of the bed. Everyone looked over as a tiny brown kitten weaseled its way out from underneath the bed while attempting to escape from a gray blanket. The kitten kept tripping over her feet, making the grown woman laugh a bit as she picked the amazed kitten up and started stroking its fur.**

"**Honestly, Muta, trying to hide the fact that you got yourself a cat? I didn't think you were the type, but it's nothing to be ashamed of."**

**The tiny brown kitten looked a little clueless, but then started reluctantly purring as the two men looked at it with absolute shock.**

"**I…" Muta stammered. "I didn't think you'd understand."**

"**Of course I understand," Nirami declared, sitting herself on the couch so she could give the brown kitten more attention. "You get lonely, even if you won't admit it, and cats are always great company. Stop making such a big fuss over nothing at all. You're both grown men, for crying out loud."**

"**Ooh, can I pet it?" Hiromi asked, forgetting the still-shaking Yuki for the present as she approached the new kitty, and started scratching her ears. "Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked the fat man, who was still lying on the floor in disbelief.**

"**A girl," Muta said distantly, still staring at the brown bundle. "Haru."**

**The light brunette looked up sharply as her eyes became distant. "**_**Oh**_**. How appropriate. You still think of her, don't you?"**

"**I'll always think of her," he said, finally sitting on his bed, but still staring at the kitten. **_**'Just what can that girl not do, anyway? Well… at least this will make traveling a bit easier, if she can keep that shape. She's so adorable like this, no one can even tell that she's different…'**_

**Nirami suddenly smacked herself in the head. "I almost forgot. We brought a strawberry and rhubarb pie. We assumed you would have dinner ready by now, but the pie will have to do, for a going-away present. Hiromi, go get it."**

"**Yes Mommy!" she chirruped happily while grabbing the basket that had been left close to the door.**

**In the corner, Yuki was still shaking in fear.**

xxXxx

Baron enjoyed watching the perpetual fog over those glorious eyes fade away, for good, he hoped. She kept staring at him, as he reluctantly released her shoulders, now that she had gotten the point.

He smiled warmly while guiding her into a sitting position next to him between the roots of the tree. "Now that we've cleared away _that _little misconception, you were saying?"

Haru's mouth was still, and her eyes were wide. "I… forgot what we were talking about."

He chuckled a bit, and softly traced her only facial scar with one finger to refresh her memory.

It was all well and good that he could make her forget about painful subjects, but he still needed to know a few things about her.

Some of Haru's former melancholy resurfaced, but at least it had none of the former intensity. "Oh… right. Well, Machida pretty much had me wrapped around his finger at the time. Father kept trying to tell me that he didn't feel good about the guy, but I kept brushing off his protests as typical father behavior. Things would have gone a lot smoother if I had just listened to him, but I didn't want to let go of what I thought was a genuine suitor." Haru sighed again as her depression slowly returned.

"The day of my seventeenth birthday, three months ago, Machida managed to talk me into going to a secluded area alone so that we could discuss the future." She spat the last part out like it had left a foul taste in her mouth. "I thought he meant that he was going to propose, but instead… he whipped out a knife, and said that I had no future, I was a blemish on the face of humanity, and that he was going to get rid of it. He said a lot more than that, but suffice it to say, the scar on my face is a lot easier to bear than the ones he left on my heart. If Father hadn't been spying on us, well, that would have been the end of me."

Baron's blue eyes darkened menacingly, and a snarl hovered on his firm lips. "I think his punishment was on the light side."

Haru laughed sadly. "Not at all. Machida's weak spot was his voice. It was a very nice one, and he could listen to himself talk for hours. I liked listening to it too, but since he had used syrupy words to wiggle his way into my heart and tear it apart, I thought it was only fair that his voice should be taken. It's a lot harder to break young girls' hearts if a guy can't vocally woo them. But I guess the banishment from my lands _was _for his sake. Father _really _wanted to stretch Machida's hide across the mountain passage as a warning to other assassins, but… I guess I'm a little too soft-hearted."

Baron shook his head, and smiled sadly. "There were far worse ways to have handled that situation. Just out of curiosity, what links Machida to the one you're _really_ afraid of?"

Haru suppressed a shudder. "Timing. After I transported Machida back to his home village, I kind of locked myself into the tower and cried myself to sleep. People kept banging on my door, so I sound-proofed it. I know my family means well, but I just needed to be alone right then. Looking back, I wish that I _had _let them in. It might not have changed much, but at least I would have had their comforting presence when I woke up screaming."

Baron took her by the shoulders, and looked her directly in the eyes. "Why did you wake up screaming?" he asked, watching the young green woman shudder in revulsion.

"Nightmares are one thing, Baron, but Dream Visitations are quite another."

"Dream Visitations? You mean to say that you met this green-eyed fellow in a dream?"

"It isn't exactly the word I'd _prefer _to use, but it's something like that." She rubbed her hands together, and gently made him lean against the massive tree trunk.

He looked at her with some measure of alarm as she leaned over him, and placed his head between her gentle hands.

"I'm going to show you that meeting, Baron. It should be enough to make my reasoning clear to you."

With that, Baron fell into slumber, and then into her dormant nightmare.

Sighing a bit, Haru pointedly looked at the not-too-distant wall. "The day is still young. Aren't you going to relax, or do I need to call the Random Day off?!" the Mountain Witch called out to the people she knew were on the other side.

She immediately heard a mad stampede flood back into the castle, making her giggle again while settling comfortably next to the sleeping man. With a snap of her fingers, she called forth her favorite pair of knitting needles and her most current project into her hands from her tower. She somberly started knitting, and waited for the young man next to her to wake up from the vision. She studied his sleeping face as she stitched, smiling peacefully.

'_He really is a handsome one, isn't he?'_


	24. Horror

**Chapter Twenty Four: Horror**

When the young man opened his eyes, so to speak, he was lying on a cold stone floor. Well, that was to be expected, considering the fact that he now lived in a castle. As he slowly came to his senses, a horrible sound came to his ears.

Haru was crying.

Baron immediately sat up and looked around. He was now in a circular room with wide windows that framed the setting sun, but his eyes were for a crumpled form on a modest little bed.

Although Haru was a queen in everything but name, her personal chambers were very ordinary, with a small but sturdy trunk in one end for her clothes and a neat wooden bed on the other side of the room. There was also a simple shelf that overflowed with simple trinkets like embroidered scarves and wooden ornaments, more than likely her payments for various services rendered. On the glass doors on the opposite side of the room, he could just make out his reflection.

'_Well, I suppose it's only natural that I would revert back to my normal coloring while within my mind.' _Baron scrambled to his feet and ran to Haru to try comforting her. But his hand went through her like he was a ghost. "Haru?" he asked, hoping for a reaction that wouldn't be given. He could do nothing here, but watch.

Which, of course, was the idea. But that didn't make Haru's tears any easier to bear.

"Come now, don't you think that's enough?" an unknown voice sneered.

Haru stiffened, and looked over her shoulder towards the glass door that led to an open balcony that opened dramatically by itself. When Baron looked on the other side, he gasped.

It was himself, sitting on the rail. But… he would _never _consider wearing the overly fancy embroidered kimono that the golden man was in. Were those golden dragons, embroidered on the long sleeves?

But, the look on the intruder's face was one Baron was certain he had never worn before. Even those shining green eyes sparkled coldly as he continued to stare at the green girl on the bed. The golden man looked somewhat irritated as Haru looked up, and rubbed her tears away with one sleeve.

The long cut on her face looked like it had stopped bleeding recently, and her eyes were disinterested and lost. "I don't know who you are, or how you got up here, but I need to be alone right now," the brunette managed to say between her tears.

"Of course you do," he sneered again, taking in her face with a growing sense of anger. "I may have to go find that young assassin and remove his head for disfiguring you so at the earliest opportunity."

No wonder she hadn't recognized Baron's voice when they met. The different accents and tones that the two green-eyed men used were more than enough to hide Baron's identity.

Haru quickly looked away and buried her face in her arms and pillow as new tears spilled forth. "I was already disfigured, in case you haven't noticed. Go away."

Baron watched as his arrogant twin smirked, and he slid off the railing to just stand on the balcony with his arms crossed.

"I don't think so, Mountain Witch. I have a proposition for you."

She began growling into her pillow. "Look, if you can just have the decency to wait-"

"SILENCE!" the man barked. Haru's voice left off at a squeak, but it wasn't because she was scared, Baron could see that. She quickly sat up from her bed, and felt her throat with obvious shock as the golden man chuckled.

"That's better. You really should learn better than to talk back to me. That's considered a terrible flaw in a wife to treat her husband so."

Haru sharply looked at the man as her eyes went wide with shock and confusion. She began shaking her head fast as the intruder laughed in a self-congratulatory manner.

"Well, we're obviously not married yet, but we will be soon enough. Now, I have some things to tell you, and you _are_ going to listen to every word." He noted the obvious distance between the balcony and the bed with distaste. "It's cumbersome to speak in this manner, so I'll leave you a choice. Either come here… or I'll come over there. Either way will be to my benefit."

The meaning behind the words was clear. Haru jumped off the bed as fear turned to outrage. Her eyes began to turn their familiar white as the golden man laughed in amusement.

"Stop that immediately!" he ordered maliciously.

The green woman's head snapped back in shock as her eyes suddenly reverted back to brown. Her mouth was still open in astonishment as he neatly jumped from the balcony, ran across the room to lock her into his arms, and bring her mouth to his before she could react.

The insubstantial blonde watched in shock as Haru began trying to push him away, even as he squeezed her close and began his all-consuming kiss.

"Stop that!" the observing Baron shouted, rushing forward to try pounding on the offender, but his fists were still as substantial as air. He was forced to watch as the arrogant fool squeezed the defenseless girl even closer as she silently screamed into his throat.

But even _he_ couldn't ignore her green fists forever. He broke off the kiss with much reluctance, and sighed evilly. "Even _with_ your temper, the kiss tastes even better than I thought it would. Stop trying to harm me."

Her fists stopped in midair as the girl's fear threatened to swallow her whole.

His green eyes seemed to mock her as he laughed once more. "Now do you see how things are going to be between us, darling? No matter how much you fight against me, I'll always be the one in control. You don't have any choice but to obey me, and you never will." He traced the cut on her face with one finger, quickening the healing process until it was a clean white scar.

"It really was foolish of you to take up with that boy," he informed her mockingly, his eyes still angry. "No one can ever love you but me, and you would do well to remember that. I've been waiting very patiently for you to finish growing, and I will not lose to a mere _peasant_. Your fate was tied to mine before you were even born." He smiled grimly as she continued to try weaseling out of his grasp without much success. The golden man was obviously a lot stronger than she was.

"Stop struggling," he ordered, making her as still as a wooden doll. He smiled again, and stole another lingering kiss as Baron desperately tried to strangle the arrogant rat with his insubstantial hands. "Here's how things are going to be, my queen. I am the last of the royal line that _your _ancestors banished two thousand nine hundred and ninety nine years ago. Thanks to clever traps for unsuspecting women to take as brides, my family has just barely managed to survive our exile. But my banishment is nearly over. When a year has turned, the enchantments keeping me chained to my caverns are going to fall into dust, and I'll come for you." He gloatingly appraised the view from her window.

"What a good bride you are, to provide such a dowry. A magnificent castle to house us, and willing servants to get us whatever we want. We'll want more, of course. The lands on both sides of the mountains are rightfully mine, as far as anyone can hope to travel in a century is all mine. Including _you_." He kissed her fiercely again with animal-like enthusiasm. And poor Haru couldn't so much as blink in her own defense as he happily pressed her quivering body to his with both arms.

"And what a prize _you _are. With your power and mine combined, this world will be forever ours to control, and no one will stand in our way." He ran his fingers through her hair thoughtfully, pondering seriously. "That green stain will have to go. It will not do for the queen of _my _realm to resemble a frog. Oh, and I'm sending all the other witches a message about someone with my appearance defeating you. That way, they won't even put up a fight about making me the king after I end your little reign of terror. It's quite comical, actually. All this time you took to help others, and I'm going to be loved and honored for stopping you." He kissed her yet again, his manner turning _very _serious about it.

"Be sure to practice your magic," he taunted wickedly. "After all, I'm certain that the Mountain Witch will want to fight me before giving me her hand, won't you? Go ahead, practice night and day with your talent, and raise an army if you can. Everything you do to try stopping me will only make my victory over you the sweeter." He brought up one of her hands, and drew his finger around hers to make a sort of black tattoo ring. After it was securely in place, he used the same hand to force her to look up into his eyes, which matched her skin perfectly in color. His voice once again became cold and stern, like a chastising parent.

"This is to remind you, my queen; I _will _return and claim you as my own in a year, so I wouldn't recommend getting overly friendly with some peasant boy again. It might prove to be fatal for both of you. Never forget, my young bride. You belong to me, and _only _me."

He kissed her passionately again, almost groaning with pleasure.

"I've been waiting so **long** for this!" He doubled his advances on the trembling defenseless girl.


	25. Devotion

**Chapter Twenty Five: Devotion**

"**Does everyone know the plan?" Mute asked sternly. **

**Everyone in the crowd nodded, but Yoshi coughed uncomfortably, shouldering his pitchfork. "But, what makes you so certain that she's in there, sir?"**

**The mayor grinned angrily. "What kind of woodcutter spends all his time at home, and not even come out for fresh water every once in a while? She's in there, boys, I'd bet my life on it. And she has Muta firmly under her power. Now, let's go save my brother!"**

**The roar of approval washed over Mute once more, as the mob moved out as one, the sun setting in the distance.**

xxXxx

"Get your filthy hands off her!" Baron roared as he broke free from the terrible nightmare.

Haru accidentally jabbed her hand with one of the knitting needles (thankfully blunted enough to just provide discomfort instead of drawing blood) she was working with to make a child's blanket in surprise at her friend's tone. She watched him jump to his feet and start pacing around the tree. The raw _fury _in his gaze was unlike anything Haru had ever seen before, since he had always had such a calm and reassuring presence. She wanted to make a comment about knowing that he wouldn't be fit to teach for the rest of the day, but the look in his eyes made her decide that silence would be a more prudent decision.

Baron suddenly stopped pacing to look at her sharply. "Was that _exactly _how it went?" he demanded.

Haru nodded grimly. "Arrogant, isn't he?" she said dryly, even as the familiar cold touch of fear gripped her heart. Not even Mr. Hatachi and the countless mobs that used to haunt her life and nightmares made her tremble like _this_. "When I woke up screaming, there were bruises all over my arms where he touched me, and my mouth felt _violated_. Then there was this stupid mark." She raised the hand with the black mark as the urge to vomit intensified. "There's a very old myth saying that back when the royal family was in power, they would propose with a black ring made of fire mountain rock, to forever bind that person to their will."

"But you were obeying his commands anyway," Baron pointed put as he sat down next to her again. "And you didn't look like it was your idea, either."

She looked down at the blanket in between her green hands, and brought it to her face to cover the tears that were threatening to make an appearance. "Believe me, Baron, if I had a choice, I would have happily shot lightning bolts at him until he went away for good, by exile or death. But you saw what happened. For no reason I can find, I _have _to obey him." At this terrible confession, the ice within the green woman turned into cold steel. "But I refuse to submit to his will, or his touch, without a fight."

"And you should," Baron fumed, his own eyes laced with steel. "If such a monster ever _does _come and try to enslave you to his will, then he deserves everything we can throw at him. And I can throw a lot."

The steel within the Mountain Witch melted, and it felt like a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled a bit, and stood up in order to bow gratefully to him.

"Thank you, Baron," she whispered.

ooOoo

Later that night, the gardens behind the castle were lit with torches, and couples swirled around each other in an endless dance as laughter rang out in the cool air.

Muta was down there, making sure that the punch bowl was never empty, and Nirami had her hands full trying to keep an eye both on her husband and on their daughter, since Toto couldn't resist picking a fight with his best friend for very long. Hiromi was also on the prowl, possibly searching for a young man that she hadn't pursued yet.

Haru laughed softly as she leaned against the side of an opened window two stories over the happily chaotic scene, the blanket between her hands almost completed. Occasionally, she closed her eyes to listen to the music, and just the music.

It was soft and soothing, like a lullaby or a lazy summer river. Sure, she could have heard the music better if she actually came out of the castle and joined the party, but after Machida-

She shook her head violently, trying to be rid of the painful memories. Nonetheless, ever since that fateful day, she had felt like an outsider to such parties. She knew that she was and always would be welcomed down there, but…

A light step clicked on the stone floor. Haru turned around fast, a little surprised to see Baron, who looked concerned as usual.

She smiled softly. "The fun's down there, Baron," she said, pointing over the edge. "Why aren't you?"

"I might ask you the same question," he said softly, stepping close enough to look over the edge. "What's the point of declaring a Random Day if you don't allow yourself to partake in the festivities?"

The green girl shrugged, and turned the sturdy grey blanket in her hands in order to start the next row. "I like listening to the music, and that's plenty for me, thank you."

He cocked his head at her and snuck a glance behind him, at the large and dark room that she was hiding out in.

If all she had wanted was music, she wouldn't be hiding in here.

"Well, may I at least have the pleasure of a dance?" he asked politely.

Every joint in the Mountain Witch's body froze up in horror. "You don't want that, Baron," she warned. "The one time I danced with Machida, he ended up with a permanent limp."

That made the dark swordsman chuckle evilly. "That will be good to know for the fighting style I'm planning to train you with. Just how often _have _you danced, Haru?"

"Um, once," she mumbled while blushing an embarrassed emerald. "Machida."

His eyes softened, and he extended a hand to her. "Just trust me, Haru. All you need is the proper guidance."

She looked at him, and then his hand. Sighing a bit, she placed her knitting aside and took the offered hand. He eased her away from the window, but not too far from it, so that they could still hear the music.

He placed one of her hands on his shoulder, and held the other one gently with his own. "Your land's style of dancing is probably very different from mine, but here's the way I was taught."

Strangely, he didn't use any words while he was guiding the green woman across the stone tiles. He barely even blinked the time or two that she accidentally kicked him. Stranger than that, she was _understanding_ what he was trying to say with his body, letting him guide her through a dip and twirl her around expertly.

'_Just how many skills does this guy have, anyway?' _the green girl yearned to ask out loud, but didn't dare for fear of embarrassing her dear friend.

As the dance turned into two, and then five, Haru found herself hypnotized by Baron's eyes, which seemed to suck her right in without a hint of malice. She could see pain in those eyes, as well as untold strength and a devoted affection.

But, what she saw most of all… was hope.


	26. Embarrassment

I know it's a day early to be updating, but it's my birthday, and I can do what I want.

So there.

**Chapter Twenty Six: Embarrassment**

**Muta delicately cut his slice of pie in half, and held his portion in one hand while setting the plate on the ground with the other hand. "This is yours, Haru."**

**The brown cat reluctantly hopped off of Hiromi's lap and walked up to the plate, sniffing it carefully.**

"**She's a bit clumsy, isn't she?" Hiromi said while eating her own pie. "She can barely walk in a straight line."**

**The fat man stiffened defensively, since this was the first time his daughter had tried walking with four legs. "She was in pretty bad shape when I found her. I didn't figure out who she used to belong to, but whoever it was needs to be strangled. She's just barely reaching a healthy weight, and I've had her for almost a month." He smiled a little foolishly, and gently rubbed Haru's back as she nibbled happily on the pie. "She's pretty smart though. And a sweetheart."**

**She looked up into his eyes, and meowed lovingly at him. **

**Muta didn't need to know the words to know what she was saying. **_**'We'll leave after they do,' **_**he promised her mentally, although he was certain that she couldn't hear his thoughts. **_**'I know these woods better than anyone, day or night, so we can outsmart anyone that tries to follow us. We can go up to the mountains, and start a new life. We don't really need people around, do we? Sure, I'll miss Bird Brain and his family, but I can't bear for anything to happen to you. I said I'd be your father, and I intend to keep my word.'**_

**The brown kitten had eaten half of her portion, but then froze. She looked over at the white cat, which was still quivering in the corner. The brown kitten mewed sadly, and started pushing the plate that still had pie on it with her head, closer to the white one, who pinned herself into the corner as the brown cat edged the plate closer to her. **

"**Would you look at that?" Toto said, laughing as the brown kitten took a few steps back, and started mewing again in a soothing manner. "She's giving Yuki a peace offering, to say sorry for scaring her."**

**The brown kitten actually bowed to the white one, who was looking at her curiously. Slowly, she stepped forward, and began nibbling on the peace offering. Haru bowed once more and backed up to give Yuki her space, now licking the plate clean of the remaining juices.**

**Haru had padded her way back to Muta, and was now rubbing her body along his legs while purring lovingly. The white cat looked at the brown cat shyly, and walked forward a bit.**

"**Meow, purr?" she seemed to ask. The brown one purred the affirmative, and seemed to smile again.**

xxXxx

"A little harder, Haru," Baron grimly advised, smoothly sidestepping the girl when she tried to jump him from behind. The green witch's face tightened in concentration as she turned in order to try again, and she swung her fist at her sensei's fist.

Baron managed to dodge it, and twist the arm around her back as she bit back a yelp of pain. "Getting closer," he whispered into her ear before twirling her away.

She spun a few more times after he had let go, and the girl swayed like a drunkard. "Are you _sure _that this is a fighting style?" she asked in a rolling whimsical tone once more, feeling a bit dizzy.

Baron nodded firmly. "If _he_ sees you with a weapon, _he'll_ just make you put it down. If what I've gathered about your culture is correct, _he'll_ never see you taking him down using your own force. The whole idea is to take him by surprise before he can open his mouth."

Haru sighed her agreement once more, and made a run toward him again, like he had instructed her to. She tried wrapping her arm behind his back again, but then Baron expertly weaseled out and wrapped one arm around her waist to throw her off-balance.

She yelped as he held her halfway off the ground, balanced only by her feet and Baron's grip on her waist. Their faces were maybe six inches apart, making Haru's heart jump around her chest like an excited rabbit as Baron sighed.

"You have the idea, but there's something going wrong in the execution. Hmm…" He looked to the side a bit, keeping Haru in that same position. As the seconds turned into a minute, Haru's body temperature began to rise until she was a dark forest green.

"Uh, can you let me go now? If you're just going to think?" she asked tentatively.

Baron snapped back into reality, but his hand rested a second too long on her waist as he brought her upright again. "Sorry about that," he said, smiling nervously.

She smiled back, but she couldn't help but notice the worry underneath the smile.

She had been training for three months now, and she _still_ couldn't quite take Baron down. She could manage to defeat just about any other man in the realm, even her huge father if she managed to catch him while his mind was otherwise occupied with food or fighting with Toto.

Baron alone could take her down without so much as a change of expression. As she had suspected, he had doubled his efforts toward teaching her and her men. But the green woman was on a completely different training program than his other students. For starters, she and Baron were often fighting at the break of dawn, when they were fresh. The rest of the time, she was concentrating on not only her demanding duties to the people, but also to sneaking up on Baron.

Since her best chance with dealing with the green-eyed man was to sneak up on him unaware, Haru's job was to try to pounce on Baron and have him taken down before he could take counter measures.

But… that man! He seemed to have a sixth sense that told him not only that the green witch was in the area, bu also a precise timing of when she would strike.

The latest time was when his back was turned, and he was trying to teach the others, so her humiliation had quite an audience. Most of them seemed understanding towards her predicament, but her father looked a little miffed for some reason that Haru couldn't place.

He was probably still angry over her training.

Haru sighed and bowed politely to the sensei. It was hard to believe that half a year had already passed since that fateful dream encounter and the air was beginning to have that familiar chill that foretold of snow in the near future. Even the trees were dropping their leaves of gold and brown to crunch softly on the earth when trodden or fallen on.

Haru just prayed that she would be ready for her true opponent by the time winter ended. "I'll leave you alone for now, Baron."

His baby blue eyes unglazed enough for him to bow back, and watch her as she walked back to the castle.

Muta coughed pointedly as his studied the soft expression on Baron's face. "Are we gonna get on with it or not?"

The instructor's attention immediately snapped back to the group, and he began delivering brisk orders as though practice hadn't been interrupted at all.

Not that it was fooling anybody.


	27. The Excitement

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Excitement**

**Nirami sighed while stretching a bit. "Well, it's getting late. Are you going to be leaving tomorrow, Muta?"**

"**Yes, at first light. Don't try talking me out of it, either. My mind's made up," the woodsman grunted, stretching his arms out before a yawn escaped his throat.**

**Toto sighed, and beckoned for the brown kitten, which willingly went to him. He picked her up, and hugged her warmly. "You'll be taking Haru, right?"**

**Muta snorted. "Duh. I've gotten pretty attached to her."**

**Nirami sighed, and reached over to rub the cat's dark brown fur. She knew better than to argue with Muta when his mind was made up about something. But, she was still a bit edgy about how her husband had been with his best friend for almost an hour now, and she had yet to see a fight.**

**Suddenly, something about the brown kitten caught her eye. Firmly, she took the kitten from her husband, and started rubbing the fur the wrong way on purpose. Her eyes widened disbelievingly. "You're leaving **_**because **_**of this cat, aren't you, Muta?"**

**The fat woodcutter jerked around, his eyes suddenly full of fear. "W-what do you mean?" he asked carefully. **

**She shook her head, and pointed at the kitten in her lap, her finger shaking slightly. "You two haven't fought once since we got here, and I have **_**never**_** seen a cat before that had a hide the color of spring grass."**

**Hiromi looked over at the kitten in shock, as it mewed a scream and jumped off the woman's lap, to curl around Muta's leg, shaking from fear.**

**Nirami looked up at her fat friend, and at her husband, who must have known the truth, given his earlier behavior. "Why… are you hiding her, if she really did kill Mr. Hatachi?"**

**Muta sighed, and turned to his best friend. "Because he tried to kill her first. Did you bring the kimono, Toto? I've been keeping her wrapped up in a blanket, since I wasn't about to put her back in the rag that circus gave her."**

**Toto nodded, and pulled a small brown kimono from his shoulder bag.**

"**Hey, that's mine!" Hiromi protested as her father opened it up, and draped it over the brown kitten like a tent.**

"**I know, sweetie, but your cousin needs it more than you do. Go ahead, Haru, change back."**

"**I don't have a cousin," the lighter brunette protested again, but then became silent as the form underneath the kimono began to grow, and change shape. A head emerged from underneath the fabric, to expose cat ears that were slowly trailing down the sides of a head as the fur at the back of the head grew longer. The whiskers shrank back into the girl's emerging green skin as her face changed shape.**

**Muta helped the girl get her arms into the sleeves of the kimono, since she had never worn one before. "Okay, Haru, after you pull this side over this side, you take this sash, and tie it together."**

"**Yes, Father," the green girl said obediently, holding still so that the sash would stay as he wrapped it around her waist, her arms held high so as to not get in the way.**

**Toto jerked, and then glared at his best friend. "Is there something you forgot to tell me, **_**Muta**_**?!"**

xxXxx

Just as Haru entered her castle, a young maid named Sakura ran up to her, breathlessly panting.

"My… lady!" she gasped. "King Lune… is in the main hall!"

Haru's melancholy immediately melted away. "Is Queen Yuki with him?" she asked eagerly.

The young girl nodded, sending the green woman down the hall at a mad sprint.

Hiromi had beaten her, though. She was cuddling her old pet as Haru threw back the dark blue curtain, her lungs flaming in protest.

A dark gray cat was resting on a table patiently, with only two servants for company as his wife greeted her old mistress.

Perhaps _that_ was why she and the young Cat King got along so well. He was a modest ruler, and so was she. Even his crown gem seemed unassuming.

She grinned at him while approaching the table, her arms extended to one of her oldest friends. "You're looking well, brother," she said formally.

He grinned at her, getting down on his haunches so that he could jump on her and wrap his body around her neck, purring happily. "So are you, sister dear," he said in that deep voice, rubbing foreheads affectionately with her. "I hear you've found a trainer."

"His name's Baron, and he's quite good," she reported, taking pleasure in scratching his ears. "That's his pet name, anyway. Apparently _he's _the only one that can pronounce his real one."

Lune chuckled, his mismatched eyes of fire and ice burning happily. "As much as I would like to say that we came by solely for a visit, it's much better than that. One is that my magicians are getting closer to that formula you wanted. Second, Yuki's carrying our first litter!"

Haru grinned happily at the purring white cat that was smiling back at her over her former mistress's shoulder. There seemed to be a new peace around the young queen, a content feeling.

Haru smiled once more, and petted her head. "Congratulations, Yuki! You've been wanting this for a while, haven't you?"

Hiromi stiffened a bit, and casually stood up so that her green cousin couldn't touch her ex-pet anymore.

The white cat looked a little disappointed at her old mistress's behavior, but didn't dodge the question. "Yes. I think everyone was getting a bit nervous that it wasn't going to happen. Well, where is this new sensei of yours? I want to make sure that he'll do the trick for you."

Haru nodded, and turned to lead the way.

"Wait, Yuki, didn't you want to stay and talk with me?" Hiromi protested helplessly.

The Mountain Witch looked around to see her cousin desperately trying to keep a hold on her old friend, who was trying to wiggle out of her arms.

"Of… course I do, Hiromi! But I really want to see this Baron for myself. Come now, it's dangerous for me to tussle at this stage of the pregnancy," the Cat Queen protested.

The light brunette scowled angrily, but then let her friend go.

Yuki awkwardly got to the floor, and walked to the green girl's side. "Aren't you coming Hiromi?" the pale cat asked. The lighter witch grumbled, but started walking as well. She picked up the white feline as she caught up to her green cousin, who was strangely silent, sensing the other girl's inner turmoil, although she couldn't tell what it was that was distressing her cousin so.

"Baron's all right," was all Hiromi offered to say on the subject.


	28. Contentment

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Contentment**

**The woodcutter blushed hard, but finished tying off Haru's sash. "We adopted each other, you bird brain! I never would've done what you're suggesting! Naoko wouldn't have either!"**

"**What is he suggesting, Father?" Haru asked curiously, turning so that her aunt and cousin could see her face. Nirami gasped in surprise as Muta blushed even harder from the thought of explaining what Toto meant.**

"**Never mind," he said shortly, patting her on the shoulder. "Well, Nirami? Is **_**this **_**a good enough reason for you?"**

**The light brunette couldn't speak, still staring at the green girl. "Yes," she whispered, pulling the green girl close, despite the girl's confused yelps. **

**Hiromi stared in shock as her mother warmly embraced the green child, and ran her fingers through the poor girl's hair. "Mommy?" the lighter brunette asked.**

**Without warning, there was a banging on the door. **

**Haru looked over at it with fear, and started trying to detangle herself from the woman's grasp. "I need to hide," she whispered insistently as her new father approached the door, and began yelling through it.**

"**What do you want?!"**

"**We want the Green Child, Muta! Send her out, and you'll be unharmed!"**

**He growled with exasperation. "She isn't in here!"**

"**Cut the act, Muta! Woodcutters spend their time cutting wood, not hiding out in their homes. Now I'm only going to say this once before we cut down the door. Give up the Green Child, so she can be brought to justice!" Mute shouted, accenting his speech with shouts of agreement from outside.**

**Nirami gasped, and turned to her niece. "Quick, change back into a cat!"**

**Haru shook her head sadly. "That won't work anymore. **_**He**_** knows I'm a witch, or at least **_**could **_**be one." The dark brunette bit her lip nervously, trying to think of a plan, despite the fact that she was the youngest one in the group.**

**Suddenly, she got a very evil smile. "Father, are we ever going to come back to this place, after we leave?"**

"**I doubt it," he grunted, holding the door in place with his girth. **

**She smiled prettily, and bowed a bit. "Then you won't mind if I break it with a diversion?"**

xxXxx

Haru opened the door, and led the small group out into the open air. Lune inhaled the fresh scent of the grass and trees greedily, still not being used to the Mountain Witch's castle, as the two human girls stealthily snuck up on the men in the fields, Haru not wishing to disturb practice a second time.

Lune looked up from her slim shoulder, and squinted his mismatched eyes at the dueling pairs. "Which one's Baron?" he asked politely.

Haru pointed to the one fighting with her father, who was sweating profusely with the exertion.

Yuki took a calculated look at the dark man, her gaze steady. "He seems like a good man," she said carefully as her old mistress bit her lip tightly.

Haru bit back a giggle. "He's very good, and about as protective of me as Father is. We better wait a little longer before we introduce you. They're just about finished with practicing for today."

"Naturally," Hiromi grumbled as Haru leaned one arm against the trunk, softly gazing at her sensei.

He seemed very business-like, now that he didn't know that she was around. He grimly blocked all of Muta's blows, and gave his own as he deemed necessary. He occasionally barked an order to one of the men that was lagging behind, and didn't hesitate with giving out suggestions.

Lune cocked his head a bit.

Something wasn't quite right here. The young monarch couldn't put his paw on what it was exactly, but there was definitely something… off, about this Baron character. But what?

Haru suddenly smiled warmly, and gently removed the Cat King from around her neck to set him on the ground.

"Hey," he protested, since he had been very comfy around her shoulders. She raised one finger to her lips, which were curved in a mischievous smile as her body slowly shrank and grew fur. By the time she was done, she looked like a lovely brown cat, one that anybody could find on a street.

"What are you up to _this _time?" Hiromi demanded sharply as the slim feline began walking leisurely towards the practice grounds.

ooOoo

Baron sighed, finally deciding that this group had shown enough progress for the time being. Any longer, and they would collapse from exhaustion, and he was well aware that they had other duties to fulfill. "I believe that concludes the lesson for today," the young sensei announced, blocking one last blow from Muta, who still looked a bit disgruntled.

Everyone else, though, breathed a long sigh of relief, piled their pretend swords into a wooden two-wheeled cart, and began returning to their various jobs. It _was _harvest time, after all, and no one wanted to go hungry while there was still snow on the ground.

Baron set his own stick in the cart, since this had been the last group for today, and moved to grab the smoothly polished handles, but Muta beat him to it.

The fatter and older brunette smiled a bit as he tossed the stick over his huge shoulder to land on top of the pile in the cart. "I think we made some excellent progress today, Baron-sensei."

The young sword master nodded gravely and started walking to the castle. "Not as much as I would prefer, however. I'll have to speak with Haru on finding a firm practicing ground when the snow flies."

"That can wait a few seconds, Baron."

The dark youth immediately turned around at the tone. It wasn't a dangerous one, but it was certainly a serious one.

The older and fatter man bit his lip a bit, obviously trying to think of the right words to say. "Do you like fishing?"

Baron blinked, not exactly expecting the question. He thought about it. "I haven't done it since I was a child. Life's been pretty busy for years. I _remember _enjoying it, though."

Muta grinned a bit as he let go of the cart in order to pick up a neat brown cat that had been rubbing against his leg and purring softly. He scratched its ears softly, so tenderly. "Then why don't you come with me tomorrow? I have it on the best authority that Haru's planning another Random Day."

The brown cat's ears flicked upwards as Baron quirked an eyebrow.

"She didn't mention one to me," the younger man said slowly, wondering if Haru was keeping secrets from him again.

Muta smiled a bit, but there was something tight in the gesture. "Just trust me," he replied, attempting to mimic his instructor's accent.

Baron chuckled a bit, thinking about it. He _definitely _wanted to stay on the good side of the giant man, and it wasn't for his size alone. "I would be honored to fish with you, Muta, but I must confess that I might not be very good at the sport."

He laughed a deep laugh, stroking the cat lovingly as it purred. "If you can whip our men into shape, you can handle a few trout."

Baron nodded, but for some reason, he couldn't keep his eyes off of the slim brown feline. "Is that cat yours? I don't recall seeing it around."


	29. Recognition

**Chapter Twenty Nine: Recognition**

**Mute growled a bit, and turned to his followers. "It looks like we'll have to smoke them out, boys. Bring on the torches!"**

**The ones holding them roared their approval, and began moving closer to the humble cottage, making ready to throw them as soon as the ones holding axes finished chopping down the door.**

**After five axe blows, the roof suddenly exploded. The villagers screamed as a solid green mist hung over the cottage, and solidified into a little girl, swinging her legs around in a shy manner over the side of the modest home.**

**Her green face smiled. "Would you be looking for me?" she asked politely, waving in order to fully capture their attention. For the first time since the night she was born, Mute looked at her as revulsion made him start choking. **

**Behind him, one of the followers gasped. "She looks just like-"**

**The mayor turned around quickly, and barked at the speaker before he could finish his thought. "She's a witch, and has chosen a new face to make us feel pity for her! Don't fall for it, my brethren. She's a murderer!"**

**The girl scoffed angrily, and rose to her feet. "I killed Mr. Hatachi because he tried to kill me, you meanie. If you want to take me back to the circus, you'll have to catch me."**

**With that, the green child jumped off the trembling wall, and floated like a ghost to the closest tree before jumping to the next one, her mocking laughter trailing after her.**

**Mute raised a torch to her disappearing form. "Don't let her get away!" he shouted as the villagers began running after the green girl, who was hopping from tree to tree slowly, almost like she was jumping around in still water.**

**As he made to follow the girl, he suddenly stopped, and allowed the mob to flow around him like a river as a dormant memory resurfaced.**

**Once, when he was still courting Naoko and they had been walking around, a wolf had tried to pounce on him, and eat them. His redhead had made fire so that the giant wood monster would be distracted long enough for them to make a break for it. But, to ensure their safety, she had made one more precaution that the wolf hadn't been prepared for.**

**He looked back at the cottage, and decided to wait and see if he was being treated to a repeat. He backed up against a tree trunk, and waited patiently.**

xxXxx

Muta bit back another laugh, but Baron could have sworn that there was an undercurrent of evilness in it. "She owns _herself_. She's one of those free spirits that come and go as she pleases. Do you like cats?"

With a shock, that terrible day returned in full flesh to Baron's mind, making him shudder.

He had lost the best thing in the world, thanks to an unsuspecting cat.

"I… guess it depends on the cat," Baron said carefully, softly rubbing the silky fur on the brown cat's back.

She looked up at him, perhaps a little surprised at the answer. "Meow?" She hopped out of Muta's arms in order to land on Baron's shoulder, and wrap herself around his shoulders, purring softly.

His heart melted, and he couldn't help but laugh a bit while rubbing her head. "But if she keeps this up, she'll probably _own_ me before much longer."

The brown cat looked straight into his eyes, and she _smiled_!

"Is that a promise?" she asked.

Before Baron could even gasp in surprise, the cat over his shoulders morphed into a human girl. Since she was obviously weighed more in her original form, and he had no time to brace himself, Haru's weight made him collapse on the ground. As he lay gasping, the green girl nonchalantly took possession of his hands and crossed them over his back so he couldn't use them, the way he had done to her more times than she cared to count.

"Well, looks like you're mine, Baron. Now what do I do with you?" she asked teasingly as her father also collapsed on the ground, but unlike the younger man, it was from fits of laughter, hopelessly pounding the ground with his porky fist.

"That… was _priceless, _Chicky! Did you see the look on his face?!"

Slowly, Baron's breath returned, and he grimaced a bit. "That wasn't very fair, Haru," he said sternly, making the girl leave off her giggling.

She released him, but wrapped her arms around his neck for a quick hug. "Maybe not, but at least I've proven that you _can _be taken down. Sorry about hurting you."

His handsome face turned a little red as Muta somberly stepped back, and began carrying the sticks back to the castle, his own heart strangely heavy.

At last, Baron laughed, turning around as he sat up. "Do you have _any _idea how hard it is, to stay angry at you when you're doing that?"

Haru smiled even wider, and hugged him again. "You don't say. What an astonishing thing." _'You didn't tell me what I should do with you. Should I think of something on my own?'_

He slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, and held the green woman close, and oh so gently.

Baron just wished that there was a way that they could stay together, just like this.

He would never ask for anything again, if only it were possible.

ooOoo

Hiromi suddenly set Yuki on the ground, and faced away from the two as they got to their feet. The lighter witch, without an explanation, began running back to the castle. The Cat Queen watched her old mistress leave, perplexed as Haru nearly dragged Baron to the tree.

"I want you to meet some friends of mine- hey, where's Hiromi?" the green woman asked, completely confused.

"I don't know, Haru," Yuki admitted. "She just decided to run off."

Baron had stopped dead in his tracks, locking eyes with the dark cat. The remaining blush on his face fled, and he looked as white as rice paper. It felt like he was turning into ice, as he stared into those regal mismatched eyes.

Mismatched eyes of fire and ice. He had seen eyes like those on only one cat before…


	30. Fear

**Chapter Thirty: Fear**

**About five minutes after the last man had ran from the cottage, a familiar laugh was made. "Nice one, Chicky! How long will they chase your shadow?" Muta asked while coming through the door; a large burlap bag over one shoulder. **

**A tiny green girl, identical to the one that had a mob after her, started giggling at his side. "Until sunrise. That should give us plenty of time to go in another direction."**

**The fat woodcutter laughed once more, kissing the girl's forehead as more people walked out of the cabin.**

**Mute's jaw dropped. Toto was holding his own daughter, and his wife was just behind him. **

**The tiny girl in her father's arms looked awed at the magical display, a white kitten still in her arms, as always. "That was **_**really**_** cool, Haru."**

**The green girl blushed emerald, but smiled happily at the compliment. **

**But the raven-haired archer had the familiar stubborn look in his eye. "Muta, I don't feel the best about just saying goodbye and letting you walk away with Haru. I don't think I can keep lying to your brother, and pretend that I don't hate him for what he did to his daughter. Nirami, Hiromi, let's go with them."**

**His wife bit her lip nervously, since she had been born and raised in this village, and had known no other home. "Where would we live?" she whispered. **

**Muta shrugged. "We'll find somewhere, don't worry. I **_**guess**_** you three could come, if you want to."**

"**Oh, you **_**guess**_**?!" Toto countered, getting ready to raise a fist at his friend. **

**But the green girl came between them, and held her arms out so Toto couldn't come closer to her other uncle. "No fighting! We don't have all night to argue about this!"**

**The best friends sighed tiredly as Hiromi wiggled out of her father's arms to embrace her cousin, the kitten barely mewing a protest.**

"**Can you teach me how to do that, Haru?" she asked excitedly. "I bet life's gonna be a lot more fun with **_**you **_**around."**

**Nirami sighed tiredly as the green niece nodded skeptically.**

"**Might as well make it unanimous. We're going with you to who knows where. Can we pick up a few things from home first?"**

"**I'm not so sure that would be the best idea. There are gossipy women still in town that might see us. Don't worry, we've got enough food to last us a month."**

"**What? There's no way you could carry that much food just for yourself!"**

**Mute started working his way closer, as the best friends began their battle once again. If he could just get his hands on the green girl, they wouldn't dare to harm him. The girl must be quite talented, to enslave this many souls.**

**But, her eyes flicked toward him, and turned white. Without warning, every muscle in his body stiffened to the point where he was nothing more than a living statue. Since he had one foot raised for another step, he lost his balance, and collapsed against the tree he was hiding behind, banging his head pretty good.**

**Hiromi gasped as the green cousin worked her way closer to the tree, and frowned a bit.**

"**You're a very bad man," she said clearly, her eyes filled with anger, hurt, and untold hatred of her sire. "I'll never know why my mother liked you more than Muta."**

xxXxx

Haru shook off her cousin's strange behavior, and smiled at her companion again. "I'll track her down later. Baron, this is King Lune and Queen Yuki of the Cat Kingdom. Lune, Yuki, this is Baron, my sword master."

Baron bowed politely, unable to take his eyes off of the gray cat. "A pleasure to meet you both," the dark youth said cordially as the two cats in front of him stood on their hind legs and bowed back.

"The pleasure's ours, Baron," the white queen said, smiling a bit. "You've certainly made some progress around here. Those boys were pretty hopeless when we last visited."

The young man had to smile a bit at the praise. "They should be ready to start practicing with real swords inside of a month, so we're only slightly behind schedule."

Lune nodded gravely, imprinting the young man's image on his mind. "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping Haru with her cause. Truly, she'll need all the help she can get."

"Truly," Baron agreed, unable to think of anything else to say, as his heart pounded. Could _this _cat tell something was off?

Lune suddenly broke off inspecting the sword master, and bowed to Haru. "I'm sorry that this visit was so short, Haru, but I just remembered an ambassador from the Southern Circle had some important business to conclude."

Haru nodded solemnly, and kneeled on the ground in order to hug the royal couple goodbye. "Thanks for coming by, guys. Stop by again soon, okay?"

Yuki took a swipe at her cheek, and nodded. "Don't forget to talk to Hiromi," the white cat urged. "Something's bothering her, and you know how cheerful she usually is."

"I'll look into it," Haru promised as a circle of blue light appeared behind the king, and the royal couple disappeared into it.

The green witch slowly turned to her companion, and smiled. "You took that a lot better than I thought you would."

Baron snapped back to attention, and looked at her. "What do you mean?" he asked, wondering if the meeting had been a test of some sort.

She laughed at him. "Last I checked, cats can't speak human on the other side of the Twin Mountains, stand on their hind legs, or mysteriously disappear into a portal. I'd have thought that you would have given more of a noticeable reaction."

His heart froze up, and his mind threatened to do the same. "I guess my nerves were still recovering from your own surprise. Speaking of which, could you do me a small favor?"

"You _know_ you only have to ask," she laughed, slapping him lightly on one shoulder.

He laughed a little nervously, and took a deep breath. "Could… you change into a cat again? But stop halfway through the transformation?"


	31. Surprise

**Chapter Thirty One: Surprise**

**The infamous duo had broken off their fight as soon as the mayor had been revealed. **

**His brother smiled wickedly, and walked behind his new daughter enough to put one beefy hand on her tiny shoulder in support. "You want me to beat him up for you, Chicky? I wouldn't mind in the least, and I've been aching to do it for a while."**

**Haru carefully considered it. It **_**would **_**be fair for this man to be covered with bruises the way she had been for years. But, in the month that she had spent with her new father, the wounds on her body had finally begun to heal, now that they weren't being replaced on a constant basis. **

**Whatever Muta did to his brother would fade with time, while she would be haunted by her memories for the rest of her life.**

**A calm smile played upon her tiny green lips. "No. I've got something better in mind than a beating."**

**Muta looked confused as his daughter sunk down to her knees and lock white eyes with the terrified and voiceless man.**

"**You are very selfish. You don't care for anything except what people think of you, so I will leave you with this promise. You will not be touched by me, or by anyone that loves me for the rest of your life. You will not be able to tell anyone that I spoke to you, or what direction I ran away. From this day on, there will be absolutely nothing that will link you to me. **

"**But, one day, several years from now when I'm a great witch and everyone loves me, you're going to **_**beg**_** for me to acknowledge you as my father. You will curse yourself into death for not accepting me as your daughter when you had the chance. You'll punish yourself a lot more than **_**we'll **_**ever be able to."**

**The girl smiled as her eyes turned brown again. The tiny brunette turned around, and held her arms out for Muta, who picked her up and sat her comfortably on one of his shoulders. "My mother may have chosen you, but I'm choosing your brother. He's much nicer than you anyway. We can go now, he's not going anywhere until sunrise, and he can't ever tell anyone about us either."**

**Nirami's mouth was open wide with astonishment, as she picked up one of Muta's sacks, and followed her husband and child as they followed the woodcutter away from the small clearing. The green girl on his shoulder was hugging his head just enough so that she wouldn't fall off.**

"**Hey Chicky?" Muta asked her, as they began their journey. "I'm proud of you."**

**Haru smiled widely, and hugged his head a bit harder. "Thank you, Father," she whispered as tears of happiness flowed down her face once more, and her smile born of joy.**

xxXxx

She quirked an eyebrow, wondering why he had asked for such a peculiar thing. But her eyes turned white once more as fur began to reappear on her body, and her ears made the familiar race up her head while growing more pointed.

"Right there!" Baron said, gently taking one of her newly clawed hands so he could examine it. The brunette's face turned a few shades darker as her companion experimentally prodded and squeezed the arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked, more than a little confused by his strange behavior. Baron grinned again while letting go of her arm.

"Just testing a small theory." He raised one hand, with the palm toward her. Familiar with the gesture, Haru made a fist and slammed it as hard as she could into the offered hand.

Baron cried out, and stepped back, holding his wrist painfully. And he had never been one to make a fuss about pain.

"Oops," Haru said timidly, stepping forward to brush the crushed hand with her magic.

Almost immediately, the bones returned to one piece, and lined up under the flesh the way they were supposed to. Baron's breathing came easier as he experimentally flexed his fingers. "Looks like the theory was correct, more so than I was expecting it to be."

"Baron, I'm so sorry for hurting you. You know I wouldn't have done that on purpose," Haru babbled, worried that he'd be angry with her.

But he laughed at her, and wrapped her up in his arms to cut off the continuous apology. "I should have asked you to hit something else, Haru, it's not your fault." He rubbed his cheek against her large and velvety ear, savoring every second he could steal of holding her close. The dark sensei could feel her wrap her own arms around his chest, and squeeze gently, affectionately.

'_This is coming along nicely.'_ Suddenly, a strange thought came to him as he unintentionally felt the ropy scars on her back. "Haru, if you can heal my injuries as well as others, how come you can't do the same to yourself?"

She flinched. "It's one of the natural laws of magic, Baron. I can change my species anytime I feel like it, but I can't use my magic to heal myself, or to change my green skin. _Believe_ me, I've tried."

He sighed, and held her a little closer for comfort. "I should have known that magic wouldn't be the answer to every problem."

Haru nodded a bit, and looked up into his eyes. "It'll be a little unfair to fight you with this kind of advantage, Baron. Should I change back?"

He was about to answer yes, but then changed his mind as new words popped into his mouth. "Actually, why don't you change me? I think I'd like to see just what the limits could be on a half-cat body."

Haru was startled, but smiled a bit as she squeezed him a little harder, and allowed her magic to flow into him.

His body seemed to be a natural vacuum for magic, hungrily devouring what she sent him. He made a gasp of surprise as tendrils of lightning seemed to flow through him.

Haru was shocked at how eager his body was for the stuff, but decided not to mention it as she cut off the power. "Okay, it's best if you have a mental picture of a cat when you start changing. Now concentrate…"

ooOoo

"Honestly, Lune," Yuki scolded as she sat by the window with a bit of knitting in her hands. "You were almost rude to the poor man."

The dark shorthair nodded as he skillfully scaled the shelves of the enormous library, picking out books at random. "I know, I know," he said in an irritated manner. "But… there's something not quite right about Baron. He's not supposed to be here."

Yuki sniffed indignantly. "Frankly, if he can make Haru smile like that _all_ the time, then he has all the right he needs to be here. She _needs _to smile like that more often."

Lune slammed his choices down on a table, and began perusing the top one. He couldn't get that peculiar look on the young sword master's face out of his mind, when they had first locked eyes.

It had been _recognition_, and the young Cat King was more than certain that they had never met before.

"Usually, yes, but… there's something fishy about him, and I plan on finding out what it is. I just _can't_ stand the thought of Haru getting hurt again." His voice broke painfully, remembering how heartbroken his 'sister' had been over Machida. If this Baron were to break her heart too, it would surely kill her, murder attempt or not.

Yuki saddened, and returned to her knitting. "Neither can I."


	32. Grief

**Chapter Thirty Two: Grief**

**The morning broke over the parched valley, waking the small ragtag group from their sweet slumber.**

**Muta opened his eyes grudgingly, and grunted a bit while rising from his blanket. Last night had been difficult, since they hadn't been able to find much food. They were getting close to the Twin Mountains, and no life could grow on this soil. He sighed tiredly, and looked to his side.**

**Haru looked a little worn, as usual, but she was smiling happily in her sleep, like she was enjoying a wonderful dream. **

**He chuckled softly, and pulled the blanket she was sharing with her cousin up over her shoulder, the now half-grown white cat sleeping between them. **_**'Enjoy your dream a little longer, Chicky. We aren't going anywhere for a while.'**_

**His daughter had grown a bit, from when he had first met her. Well, that was to be expected, she had only turned twelve three months before. It became harder each day, to put her on his shoulder. He sighed, wishing that there was a way for her to be his little girl forever. But, even Haru couldn't stop time.**

**Could she?**

**He shook his head violently, as he pulled out some rations for breakfast. The not-as-fat-as-he-used-to-be woodcutter had learned better than to speak such ideas aloud in his daughter's presence. If there was anything she liked, it was a chance to further explore her gift. **

**Indeed, the prophecy-spell she had spoken to Mute was already beginning to show itself. But it would be a few more years until he would regret his actions. It was now well-known that the Green Child traveled with a small company, so even changing into cats wasn't enough to ensure their safety. But Muta had to admit, he liked having whiskers. It was a lot harder for people to see him, if nothing else. But even a fat cat in a land ravaged by drought would be a big sign that something wasn't quite right.**

xxXxx

Hiromi wrote in the last two names on her list, and placed it aside so that the ink could dry. She looked over the other files on her desk, sighing a bit as she stood up in order to start putting the dry papers away.

"Hey, Hiromi."

The light brunette suddenly wheeled around, to find her green cousin walking through the blue curtain. She immediately stiffened. "Hey, Haru," she said shortly, willing the papers to dry faster.

The Mountain Witch sighed a bit, and leaned against the cold stone wall. "What's bothering you, Hiromi?" she asked softly. "Something's been on your mind for a few months now, and you've been avoiding me like the plague. Did I do something to offend you?"

"Of course not!" Hiromi snapped, shoving the last papers into the cabinet.

"Then why are you shutting me out of your life?" Haru asked in that infuriatingly calm tone. "Why are you punishing me if whatever it is isn't my fault?"

"Because…" Oh come on! Hiromi ran for the door, but her green cousin blocked it, her gaze warm and loving.

"I love you, Hiromi," she stated very clearly. "Tell me what's wrong. Even if I can't somehow change it, I want to know what's tearing you apart. You won't talk to any of our parents, and you won't talk to anyone else about it, but enough's enough. Please."

Hiromi had to look away from those huge brown eyes, still a little surprised that they couldn't see through her troubled soul. "I…" she stammered. "I fell in love with someone."

Haru's green arms wrapped around her from behind, and squeezed comfortingly. "That's wonderful, but why is that a bad thing? Is he a troublemaker or something?"

"Oh no, nothing like that," the lighter brunette choked out. "I… he… well, he's in love with someone else."

"I see. Did you hear him say that?"

Hiromi wheeled around, tearing herself from her cousin's embrace. "He never had to! You can see it in his eyes that he worships the ground that this girl walks on. Whenever she's around, it's all he can do to keep his eyes off her! Everyone's been talking about it for months!"

Haru cocked her head a bit, since she hadn't heard anyone breathe a word like that about anyone else. "Well, how does she feel about him?" the darker brunette asked curiously.

Hiromi bit back a laugh. "She's over the moon about him, but she's scared to death to admit it out loud. Are you absolutely sure that no magic on earth can force someone to love you?!" she suddenly demanded.

Haru jumped back a bit from her cousin's tone, but carefully considered the question. "If there is, I don't know about it. I wouldn't use it anyway. What's the point of forcing someone to love you if it doesn't naturally happen?"

"Are you sure?" Hiromi begged, collapsing to her knees.

Haru sighed, and kneeled down to embrace her cousin again. "Hiromi, if this man's love means that much to you, go and tell him how you feel. Then he at least knows his options."

The lighter brunette began crying, and clinging to her green cousin. "I already tried that, Haru. But he very politely told me that his heart belonged to someone else, and that I should look elsewhere for a sweetheart. I still want him, but I love the other girl too much to try taking him away by other means. I feel so lost and alone," she sobbed.

Haru made crooning noises as she continued to hold her cousin, since she couldn't think of any words to say. As carefully as she could, she searched her memories for a pattern to her cousin's moody behavior. Hiromi had frequently been leaving rooms for two months now, almost as often as the green woman walked into one. But that didn't explain why she was punishing…

Oh.

Big.

Freaking.

Duh.

"It's _Baron_, isn't it?" she whispered.

Hiromi nodded through her tears as a sad laugh issued from her throat. "I'm really disappointed that it took you this long to figure it out, Haru. I thought you were smarter than that."

Haru pulled her cousin away enough to lock eyes with her. "And it's me too, isn't it?" she pressed as a spark of terror rippled through her body.

Hiromi nodded again slowly, like reassuring a dumb person. "I thought that was obvious."

Haru stood up and began pacing the study, faster and faster as her breath came up short. "Oh no! This _is_ a problem!"

Hiromi sighed angrily as she rose to her feet. "Look, don't break things off with him over me, okay? You deserve a little happiness too, you know."

"Except I can't!" Haru whispered, falling to her knees. "Remember what the green-eyed man said would happen, if I… got involved with a guy that wasn't him? Baron's in serious danger for getting this close to me!"

"You should have thought of that earlier," Hiromi said a little coldly before pulling back the curtain, and walking down the hall.

Haru was left alone with her thoughts, staring through the glazed window to the cloudy grey sky outside. "How could I have been so selfish?" she asked herself as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

She buried her head in her arms, and began weeping.


	33. Love

**Chapter Thirty Three: Love**

**Toto groaned as he sat up, quickly followed by his wife. "Another day, another mob waiting to chase us. What's for breakfast?"**

"**Old bread and water, as usual," Muta said, breaking off a piece for each of them. "We're going to need to move somewhere a bit more fruitful, if we want to eat tomorrow."**

**Hiromi cried a little as she woke up as well. "I had a terrible dream, Mama! I dreamed they finally got us, and we all died!"**

**Her mother held her comfortingly, as the last of the group reluctantly opened her eyes. **

**Her green lips broke into a huge smile as she hopped out of the blanket. "Father, you won't believe this! There's a fertile valley on the other side of those mountains!"**

**He laughed a bit while offering her a piece of bread. "You're right, I don't believe it. Eat your breakfast, Chicky."**

**She shook her head as she straightened her threadbare kimono. "You can have it, Father. I'm going to check out the orchards on the other side of Twin Mountains. It's harvest season, you know."**

**Toto scoffed at his niece's naiveté as he bit into the tough bread. "There's nothing on the other side of Twin Mountains, Haru. At least nothing new or exciting."**

**The green witch turned to him, a big smile on her face. "Have **_**you **_**ever seen the other side?"**

"**No, but-"**

"**Do you know of anyone that has?"**

"**Well… no."**

**She smiled again, and looked at the tall mountains, which seemed to radiate darkness. "Then why are you so sure that there's nothing on the other side? Come on, let's go take a look!"**

**Hiromi took one look at the towering mountains of darkness, and shuddered. "Not happening, Haru. I'm not going up there!"**

"**Not even for a pomegranate?" her green cousin coaxed. "What about an apple? A handful of grapes? Or even…" the dark brunette paused dramatically. "Fresh fish?"**

**The lighter brunette's resistance collapsed at that point, as did that of her parents. **

**Toto sighed as he rolled up his blanket as his daughter's cat woke up, and ate her piece of bread. "At least we have a destination, now. But you had better be right, Haru."**

**She smiled confidently, and grabbed her bag. "I am, don't worry."**

xxXxx

Baron had to admit, he _loved _the winter kimono Haru had provided for him and everyone else for the colder months. It was made from an ordinary wool that had been soaked inside a special potion that would help produce and retain heat. It was similar to a body suit, complete with gloves and boots, but unlike the varieties he had known from his first home, the fabric was as light as it was warm.

But even with the winter kimono, any mortal man would get uncomfortable about practicing swordplay in the snow, especially when considering the ice.

"That's enough, men!" he shouted above the wind. "The sun is retiring, and it would be wise for us to do the same!"

Everyone had a good laugh at the slight joke as they carefully sheathed the newly forged swords and placed them carefully inside the trunk. Baron tried to reach for the smooth handles, but once again, Muta managed to beat him to the punch with a grin on his face.

"You've got a visitor," he said in a slightly joking manner.

The dark young man turned around to see Haru waiting for him under their tree. Now that he was facing her, she beckoned for him to come closer with one hand, the other one keeping a thick scarf close to her green face to ward off the cold bite in the air.

"Remember what I said, Baron," Muta hissed as the sword master ran directly for the occupied tree. In one of his pockets, he was nervously rubbing a small trinket.

But the joy in his heart began to fade, as he got a closer look at the green woman's face. Her cheeks looked strangely puffy, like she had been crying recently, and her eyes were oddly hollow.

"Haru, what's wrong?" he asked gently, reaching out to hug her.

But then she inexplicably stepped away from his arms as her eyes became downcast, like she was ashamed to look at him. "I… just… wanted to apologize, Baron," she said softly.

He cocked his head a bit, and smiled softly. "Did you do something to offend me?" he asked. "Because I don't recall such a thing."

The gloved hand holding onto the front of her outer robe began trembling. "No, but… well…" she stammered.

He smiled warmly at her, and touched her scarred cheek softly. "Just tell me what's wrong, Haru. I promise not to get angry about whatever it is that's bothering you."

A small smile threatened to flicker onto that fair face, but then died. She took a deep breath. "Baron… we've become pretty close since we've met, haven't we?"

"_Very_ close," he agreed, taking a step closer as she bit her lip again.

"I have to admit, Baron, that although we're good friends… I like you a lot more than as a friend alone."

That statement made the young man want to sing for joy as his soul began to soar. But… "Why do you look so scared then?"

She looked down as a few tears threatened to freeze in her eyelashes. "Baron… I showed you the green-eyed man's visit. You heard as well as I did about what would happen… if I happened to… _pursue _another man again. It isn't very fair for me to keep encouraging your attentions when there's a good chance that you could get killed for it."

Baron's eyes softened, and he took the last step needed in order to warmly wrap the girl in his arms, despite the slight attempt to escape his grasp. "Is that what's bothering you?" he asked, almost laughing with relief. "Don't worry about that, Haru."

What resistance that was still left in the girl immediately collapsed, and she clung to him longingly. "But… I can't bear for you to get hurt over me," she whispered into his shoulder.

He shushed her softly, and kissed her head through the thick hood. "I'm not going to get hurt, Haru. Just trust me, _he'll _go down long before I do. You're a wonderful woman, and you deserve so much better than someone like _him_." He kissed her cheek softly, making a dark blush appear on her cheeks again. "This might sound a little conceited, but… you deserve someone like me. Someone that knows and loves you the way you are."

A little bashfully, he pulled out a simple and small wooden comb that Muta had taught him to carve while on their fishing trips. It was modestly decorated with cherry blossoms, and polished as smooth as a river stone. Haru's breath caught in her throat as Baron reached under her hood to slip it into her long dark hair, just behind one ear in order to showcase the carved flowers and her ear.

"Just because your life began with sorrow doesn't mean that it should end in the same fashion. If you really want to know what I want from you, it's that you would let me make you happy, and smile your true smile. I want to try healing your heart from all the abuse it's endured over the years. I want to be right here, with you, until the day I die. _I love you_, Haru," he whispered to her, his blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears for her years of pain.

She reached up with one hand to wordlessly touch the humble gift as he leaned toward her again. But he wasn't aiming for her hair or cheek this time.

With tears in her eyes, she stood up on her tiptoes in order to softly press her lips against his.

The experience was quite unlike any Haru had ever had before. Although it was the same basic idea that the green-eyed man had, the way Baron was kissing her, and holding her so _gently_, was worlds beyond anything the green-eyed man could hope to accomplish.

As she kissed him back, clinging to him like a lifeline, a few more tears streamed down her cheeks as the scar on her cheek began to fade.

'_Oh, Baron… please forgive my weakness!'_


	34. Dread

**Chapter Thirty Four: Dread**

**The trek up through the narrow valley was unpleasant, to say the least. The undergrowth was unbearably thick, as well as the bushes. Haru was obliged to walk at the front of the group with her cousin, so they could cut down the thick foliage with their power. Hiromi's cuts were a bit uneven, but Haru's were very straight, and controlled. The lighter brunette bit back a few tears once more, feeling ashamed at being the lesser witch, where she had once been the only witch in her village. Her parents were still proud of her, but she wished that she could get that look of wonder that Haru could get without even breaking a sweat.**

"**We're about ten feet away from the entrance," the green teen announced after they had been walking for three hours. The adults and other witch sighed with relief, since they all had more than a few scratches and such from the undergrowth.**

"**Are you **_**absolutely **_**sure that there's food on the other side?" Muta asked nervously, as his stomach gave another loud roar. His daughter nodded confidently, and whacked away the last bush that had been in their way.**

**Bright sunlight hit them full in the face, a sharp contrast to staying in the mountains' oppressive shadows. Hiromi cried out as Haru quietly closed her eyes, and drank in the warm sunlight while still walking forward.**

**When everyone's sight returned, they gasped.**

**They had actually come out into an overgrown courtyard of sorts, with moss and foliage growing over everything. There was recognizably stone underneath the plants, but what seemed to be the most terrifying was the biggest thing that the plants were covering.**

**It… was like a giant stone cottage. But there were holes in the walls, and a giant doorway, with equally giant wooden doors half-way open. There were taller parts, and smaller parts to it, but it looked like it was just an empty place.**

"**I've heard of places like this in stories," Muta said reverently. "I think it's called a 'castle'."**

"**Let's look around," Haru said impulsively, running up to the door before anyone could stop her. She struggled to open the door a bit wider, and slipped through. **

**She was now in a room that felt almost like the caves she and her family had hidden out in more times than once. It was just **_**massive**_**! The sheer size of the main hall alone made her feel as small as an ant. **

**Now that she was inside, she could see that the holes in the wall were intentional, like whoever used to own this place liked looking outside without actually **_**going **_**outside. **

**Muta whistled appreciatively and the hallway seemed to whistle back with an echo. "Nice place you found, Chicky. It's a bit big for my taste, but it looks like we won't have to worry about finding a winter home, after all."**

xxXxx

Hiromi bit back a few more tears of grief, and turned away from the window that had grown foggy with her breath.

She should have known from the beginning that it had been hopeless to fall for Baron, or that what he felt for her cousin was merely a passing infatuation.

Yes. Perhaps Haru could have this small piece of happiness, before spring. The light brunette sighed, and walked down the hallway.

Alone.

When Haru and Baron walked back inside the castle, there _were _a few cheers for the couple, since their arms were undeniably and lovingly intertwined, but the applause quickly died away as everyone stared at their beloved witch's light green face.

It would have been remarkable enough to see just her facial scar gone without a trace, but it was mind-boggling to gaze at the beautiful, beaming smile that no one but her closest family had ever seen before.

A smile that was born of pure joy.

ooOoo

"Are you sure about this, Baron?" Haru asked nervously as he carefully softened the specially spelled beeswax by the fireplace, as the first rays of dawn began to shine on the horizon. The air was still slightly nippy, but spring flowers were blooming outside again.

It also happened to be her birthday, and when the green-eyed man would come for her.

"To be honest, I have no idea if this will work. I only heard of it in an old myth from a book I read back in my homeland. But if it does work…" He stood up and walked quickly to her with the two clumps of soft wax. "If it does, that's one less thing to worry about."

Knowing now wasn't the best time to fight with him, she tilted her head at his beckoning, and winced slightly as he carefully placed one of the wax balls in her ear, using his thumb to seal the bond closed. Quickly, but gently, he tilted her head the other way, and repeated the procedure in her other ear; making the last seal even as the enchanted wax hardened.

"There!" Baron said, stepping back so that he could look at her.

Excellent. No one would even be able to tell the wax was there.

"Stand up, Haru," he ordered.

His beloved blinked, a little confused. "What?" she asked a little too loudly.

He beamed at her, and stole a kiss while helping her to her feet.

Realizing that the wax really was shutting out all sound for her, she laughed happily. "You'll have to tell me what story inspired the wax when we're done today."

Baron smiled, and nodded warmly, glad that she apparently couldn't even read lips. "Everything will be made clear soon, love," he whispered to her softly, although he knew better than most that she couldn't hear him.

Without warning, a grey cat hopped through an open window, and wrapped himself around Haru's neck before licking her cheek, making her laugh in delight and rub his head affectionately.

"Hello, Lune," she said warmly as the young Cat King looked intently at her face, more than a little puzzled.

"What happened to your scar? Oh never mind. Haru, I've got to talk to you alone _now_," he said urgently, making Baron laugh and tighten his hold slightly on her as they walked down the hallway.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, she won't be able to hear a thing until after we deal with the green-eyed man. I filled her ears with wax, and we don't have time to replace it."

The dark cat looked sharply at the tall man, and his eyes slit dangerously as he nearly _hissed _at the man. "All right, then I'll talk to you, _sir. _Just for the record, I know what you are."


	35. Alarm

**Chapter Thirty Five: Alarm**

**Feeling curious, Haru began running once more, with only her father following her this time. She came to a strange rock formation that seemed to go around and around, forever leading her up into the sky. And when she reached the top, she found another door. She pushed on it as her father wheezed his way up after her. At last, she managed to push it open, finding a big room with no corners. She wanted to explore the room a bit, but ran for the opening, which lead to a strange patio that went all the way around the tower. **

**She gasped once more.**

**The sight was beautiful. She could see for **_**miles**_** in any direction she chose, save for the Twin Mountains and tiny valley that had led them here. She could see neat rows of trees, sparkling brooks, and acres upon acres of open grassland.**

**Whoever had lived here had obviously been gone for years, possibly even centuries. **

**Her father came up behind her, and squeezed affectionately. "Quite a place you've found, Chicky," he said softly, stunned that all this had been hiding behind those mountains, for all these years. Everything they could possibly need for survival was now within a ten-minute walk of the castle.**

**Haru nodded her agreement, and beamed. "I think we're home, Father."**

**He grinned, and hugged her a little tighter. "I think so too, Chicky. Well, let's get cracking. There's a lot of work to do before the snow flies."**

xxXxx

Baron stopped walking, and his crystal blue eyes went wide with fear.

Haru looked at him, a little confused as to why he wasn't still moving. "Is something wrong, Baron?" she asked a little loudly.

"You _do_?" Baron whispered to the young Cat King in horror.

Lune nodded angrily. "Your scent confirmed it. You're not of this world, so what are you doing here?!"

The dark man blinked twice, and then relaxed, almost laughing. "Oh, that. Well, I was brought here by my world's version of you after my version of Haru was killed while saving your life. Is that clear enough?"

Lune nearly fell off Haru's shoulder in disbelief, the green girl just catching him.

"What did you say, Baron? I thought nothing could get under Lune's fur except his father." Her voice was still a few decimals too loud, as she lovingly stroked the soft grey fur.

Lune's eyes were wide. "She _died _for me?"

Baron snorted. "Do you honestly think she'd hesitate? Because she didn't; you were just a passing stray to her, and she still died for you. I yelled at you later for taking away our potential future together, since I was about to ask her to marry me and I blamed you for her death. So to repay both her and myself, you promised to send me to a world where she would be alive and need me." He looked at the green woman, with his heart in his eyes. Smiling happily, he stepped forward enough to gently cup her cheek with one hand and kiss those soft lips again.

The arm that wasn't holding the young Cat King immediately wrapped around Baron's neck to pull him closer, savoring every precious second of being together as happy chills ran up and down her spine while her remaining scars continued to fade, the grey cat brought to one side so that he wouldn't get crushed.

With much reluctance, Baron broke off the kiss, and smiled warmly at Lune. "And she was _more_ than well worth the trip."

Lune was still staring at the man, barely able to think a coherent thought. "Well, shouldn't there be a version of you somewhere here as well?"

Baron's eyes actually slit in anger, and he tightened his grip on Haru a bit while kissing her cheek. "There is, but he isn't worthy of her. I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself until after we deal with the true monster. I plan on telling Haru everything there is to know about my appearance here."

Lune sighed, and nodded. "Well, my people are in place with the special bombs, so good luck." He swiped at Haru's cheek before hopping out of her arms and running down the hall.

The green woman turned to her companion and pulled a disappointed face. "That looked like a really interesting conversation, too."

Baron laughed, and kissed her once more before they continued on their way. "You'll know soon enough," he promised, although he knew that she still couldn't hear him. He protectively wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and squeezed softly. _'I won't let your life end in tragedy again.'_

ooOoo

Baron and Haru reached the lookout tower, where Muta and Toto were arguing about who got to look through the spyglass. Biting back a chuckle, Baron snitched the long contraption away as the two best friends began to pound on each other again while unconsciously shifting into their animal forms.

"At least I can't be mistaken with a pig!" Toto taunted as he swiped at the white fur.

Muta yowled angrily as he jumped up in the air, trying to catch the crow. "Well, at least I don't have a bird brain!"

"You've been calling me a bird brain for years, you moron! Can't you think of a better insult than that!?"

"Will you two please behave? The green-eyed man could be here any minute," Baron said calmly, scanning every possible direction for a sign, despite the fact that there were already watchers of the land and sky in every direction, ready to give the alarm if the enemy was sighted.

He had no intention of taking any chances with Haru's safety.

And thus the hours began to pass, as slowly as it could possibly manage. Haru could feel each second crawl over her like a train of snails. She twisted her green fingers around nervously, praying that she and her people really were ready for this as her breath came in increasingly short gasps.

Around noon, Baron's warm solid hand suddenly wrapped around hers, and brought it to his lips to kiss it softly. She couldn't hear what he said afterwards, but the look in his eyes was comfort enough. Her lips turned up into a warm smile as she took his arm, and wrapped it around her shoulders. He obligingly tightened the arm, and kissed her hair.

Suddenly, her soul turned to ice as a familiar presence began to close in on her location. Even Baron twitched, and he didn't have magic.

"He's coming," Haru stated clearly, pointing southwest. "That direction. He's too arrogant to try sneaking on us." She pushed her awareness outward, and started growling. "That _thief_!"

She could tell that Baron was trying to ask her what she meant, but when he looked in the direction of her finger through the spyglass, he could see what she meant.

He was a magnificent creature, with scales that flashed as bright as the sun. But unlike Haru's dragon form, the green-eyed man's horns were numerous, almost like a crown on his brow, and his face had that bearing of overwhelming self-importance, like he thought everyone would turn and hide after one look at him.

Baron felt his own blood turn to ice, as he once again checked to be sure that his sword could be drawn in a hurry. "From the southwest!" he shouted as loud as he could.

The one watchman that could hear him yelled the message to the ones that could hear him, and another watchman doing the same until the warning echoed through every corner of the castle, and the troops began to race toward their previously chosen positions.

Without another word, he took his green beloved by the shoulders, and began guiding her down the spiraling staircase of the tower, with a morphing cat in front and a morphing crow behind her.


	36. Greed

**Chapter Thirty Six: Greed**

More than ever, Haru was grateful that she had already evacuated the women and children to a safe cavern she had discovered in one of the Twin Mountains three years earlier. More than a few had put up a fight about leaving, but there was no disobeying with the Mountain Witch on this matter.

There was no point in giving her enemy another advantage over her, let alone one as obvious as innocent lives.

When they had reached the halfway point in the tower's staircase, Baron could clearly hear the triumphant roar of the golden dragon as it circled over the castle. "Toto, Muta, I need you both to stay out of the fight that I'm going to pick with that monster," the young sword master said firmly.

Muta nearly tripped as they reached the main floor. "What?! After all that sword practice you made us do?!" he shouted angrily, since he had a long list of things to do to the one that was threatening his baby girl.

Baron nodded firmly. "I have another trick up my sleeve, and I don't want to compromise it. Just take care of Haru for me, and I'll do the rest." Very gently, he kissed the green woman one more time before gently pushing her into her father's arms.

Haru looked to and from her beloved and her adored father with obvious confusion. "What's going on?" she asked a little loudly.

Baron sighed as the entire castle shook with the dragon's impact with the ground as he landed. "But I _do _want the monster to see her with me. Just trust me, Muta. You know I won't let anything happen to Haru."

The large fat man's face contorted as a thousand different emotions crossed his pudgy features. At last, he sighed and wrapped his daughter into his huge arms as the confused look on her face increased a hundredfold. "Don't disappoint me, Baron."

"Oh, Mountain Witch!" a masculine voice from the courtyard called out sweetly. "I've come for you!"

Baron growled as his small company began running down the hall to the door leading outside. "He never bothered to even learn her _name_?!"

ooOoo

Hikaru couldn't help but smirk at the peasants that had once stood ready to fight him. In their stead was a rather impressive collection of sword and bow-wielding statues that might serve well in a royal garden. His beloved's garden was a good start, but it didn't quite cut the royal cloth.

As long as he was thinking of cloth, his mind traveled back to the fine solid gold kimono he had spelled to mimic his hair, so that his dragon form would be perfect. His cloak billowed over his shoulders in an impressive manner, if he said so himself. The only thing that would make this day complete would be for his beloved to come out where he could see her.

If kissing her in a dream visitation had lit his body on fire the way that it had a year ago, he could only imagine what it would be like to kiss her in _reality_, and he was rather eager to start making comparisons.

His glowing green eyes looked up at the large castle that would soon be his, and made him smile evilly again. "Surely that isn't the best resistance you could present for me! I was rather hoping for something along the lines of a challenge!" he taunted, hoping to get another glimpse of her adorable temper.

"Believe me, you'll be getting a challenge."

Hikaru's glance shifted to a corner, out of which emerged four people. But he only had eyes for the slim green woman that was destined to be his queen.

He laughed once more, making a mental note to have her find something more regal than a brown kimono to wear for when their reign began. "You must be joking! These three are the last of your resistance?"

A young man with obsidian hair glared at him, pointedly drawing his sword and stepping in front of the Mountain Witch. For a reason the young royal couldn't figure out, the young man looked familiar, like someone he used to know.

Except that the green-eyed man had never actually met humans other than his parents and his beloved before today.

"We'll be enough, I think," the brunette said coldly as the other two men protectively flanked the witch on both sides.

Hikaru sniffed indifferently. "I doubt it. Kill them all, my sweet!"

The young girl's huge brown eyes refused to even blink in acknowledgement of the order, glaring at him with an unholy hatred. And her hands stayed at her side.

"I said kill them!" Hikaru ordered again, stunned that she hadn't jumped to do his bidding the way she was supposed to.

The young man with dark hair chuckled softly as he held his blade ready for combat. "I don't think she's going to obey you."

The golden man shook his head angrily. "But she _must _obey me! Kill them, witch!"

The young man's sapphire eyes turned as cold as ice as he pointedly walked backward enough to softly kiss the Mountain Witch on the cheek, making her smile and glow with pleasure. Where was her scar?!

"Never again will she obey you, and you'll have to get through _me_ if you ever want to get to her," the young swordsman said with a note of angry finality. Hikaru's heart immediately filled with a volcanic rage that raced hotly through every vein of his body as he dimly heard the slimmer man ask the younger one what he thought he was doing.

Didn't he warn her about taking up with another peasant boy! She was _his, _destined to be _his _queen since before she was born. Her green skin was supposed to keep away suitors and make her more likely to accept his affections. The spell of obedience his father had cast the day of her birth was supposed to take care of the rest of their little problems, but how and when had she gone deaf?!

Hikaru could feel his cold green eyes light on fire. "If you walk away from her right now, I'll let you live," he lied.

The blue-eyed man scoffed indifferently as he gestured for the two to move the Mountain Witch to a safe location. "I'd _rather_ die than leave her to the likes of you."

Hikaru smiled grimly. "I'd be more than happy to accommodate you," he purred, gathering a ball of energy behind his back.

The green witch's head snapped up in horror. "Look out, Baron!" she screamed as the two men grabbed her arms to keep her from interfering, even as the golden man flung the pulsating ball of fire at his opponent, who looked strangely calm. He didn't even raise his sword as the ball of green energy hit him solidly in the chest, making him take one step back from the impact.

But, instead of making him explode into a gory mess, green light from the bomb soaked into the young brunette's body, making him glow for but a second just before dissolving into him. 'Baron's' eyes shot open once more as a spark of electricity shot through his blue irises, and he _smiled_.

"My, that was an interesting experience," he said dryly as his opponent and friends stared at him in amazement, since he should have been killed from the blast he had just absorbed. "I wonder if that's how it feels to be electrocuted, because if so, then I can understand Haru's fascination with the pastime. How invigorating."


	37. Panic

**Chapter Thirty Seven: Panic**

"Impossible," Hikaru whispered, making a bigger ball of energy before throwing it at his rival. One after another, he threw bombs to no avail as the aura of light around the young swordsman increased until he resembled a second sun, and his eyes rippled with raw _power _as his smile grew even_ wider_.

Infuriated with his lack of success, he used a spell that his father had warned him against ever using. He put both of his arm out towards his rival, and focused every particle of his power into his arms to make a long golden beam to shoot through his opponent.

This was unheard of!

The mysterious man's body was like a vacuum, eagerly sucking in all the power Hikaru sent… and then some.

Realizing what was happening, the young royal tried to cut off the magic source, but the terrible pull was too great, and he had utterly committed his entire force towards destroying his rival for the witch's affections, but he refused to be destroyed.

Hikaru sank to his knees, more exhausted than he had ever been in his life as the last tendrils of his magic flowed into the dark brunette, who was bathed in light. Hikaru could never remember feeling so _empty_ before in his life! His entire life's work, as well as that of his family's for the past three thousand years was now knocking around inside a mere _peasant_! How was this possible?!

Now that the power had stopped coming at the dark brunette, it could start soaking into his body more easily. He still didn't raise his sword, as a look of dreamy concentration crossed his features.

Once all the gold energy had been absorbed, he looked normal for one precious second. "I've learned better than to say 'impossible'," the man said gravely. "I keep finding such things to be very possible indeed."

Then, without warning, cracks of light began showing through him, most noticeably in his hair, like a pane of slowly breaking glass.

The illusion shattered as black coloring fell to the ground like raindrops to dissolve into nothing. In its place was a fine crop… of thick golden hair. The stranger smiled, and slowly blinked, making two big blue drops fall from his eyes like tears. When he opened his eyes again, they were just as green as the Mountain Witch's skin.

The green woman and her two protectors gasped in shock as her champion slowly made his way to his twin, who was sprawled on the ground.

Hikaru struggled to run, but he was too weak to do it. He tried crawling backwards instead, although his eyes were hopelessly locked on his mirror image, which glared coldly at him. "W-who are you?" Hikaru stammered helplessly as his victor towered over him, unfathomable hatred in his glowing green eyes.

"I am who _you _should have been. Perhaps if you had been more like me, I wouldn't have needed to come into the picture. Well, get up! After a year's worth of preparation, I think you should at least put up a fight!" With one hand, he made a respectful sword with his newfound power, and tossed it at his opponent. "Pick up the weapon, if you truly think you're worthy of Lady Haru."

Hikaru stared at the weapon with terror. He had never touched a sword in his life! His entire focus had been magic. But, his overpowering lust for the green girl made him forget the danger, and pick up the blade.

He tried a mad swipe, which the newcomer easily dodged, using the gaping hole in the blonde man's defenses in order to cut deep into the golden kimono and his side, earning a bright flood of blood.

Hikaru screamed like a little girl, dropping his weapon to favor his wound with both hands.

His opponent scoffed angrily. "Surely this is a joke. After all the paranoia and training I've worked through, and you were never a threat in the first place? I must say, I was expecting more of a challenge from someone that could have been me." Smiling grimly, Baron raised his sword for a final strike.

"I refuse to let _anyone_ harm Haru or her people, not even a twisted version of myself. I've never killed before, but I can't afford to let you ever threaten _my _beloved again."

And, with one final blow, the dormant royal line became extinct, never to return.

ooOoo

With a heavy heart, since he did not enjoy the strange version of suicide, Baron allowed the blood-soaked sword to fall to the solid stone pavement. Slowly, he turned to face the trio that he had come to love so dearly.

Haru… she looked so shocked and scared, staring at him, almost like he was still a stranger.

He sighed and bowed low for her. "It should be safe for her to take the wax out now. The threat has been eliminated."

Muta wrapped his arms even more protectively around the girl, his own eyes wide with fear and contemplating a trace of anger. "Just what-" he tried to ask, but then King Lune hopped down from his hiding spot, and walked up to the newly green-eyed man, looking him up and down.

"So _this _is what you meant by your alternate self not being worthy of Haru!" he exclaimed, circling the man in his inspection. "Well, nice to know that the balances have been returned to about as normal as they're going to get."

Haru couldn't take it any longer. She used a seed of her power in order to completely clean her ears of the wax, and toss the clumps aside angrily. "Just what is going on here?!" she demanded. "First you weren't the green-eyed man, but then you were, but not really because you killed the other one, so… so what's…"

Lune stood on his hind feet and faced the green girl. "It's a little complicated," he began before Baron reached down to touch his shoulder.

"I think it might be better if _I _explained. There were some things I didn't tell you, either."

The young Cat King looked up, but then got back on his haunches in agreement.

Baron looked up at the green woman, and smiled warmly, his heart in his gaze. "I didn't lie, when I told you that I came from a far away village named London. And I didn't lie when I said that a tornado brought me here. But I _did _fail to tell you the real reason why I came here." He took a deep breath for courage, and focused his newfound power to make a cloud appear next to him, and clear in the middle to sort of make a window. "This is London."

Hesitantly, Haru came forward enough to study the image, which was actually one of Baron's memories, from when he had traveled by helicopter over the city. Then he switched it to a bus ride so that she could get a good look at the streets, shops, and people. Her father and uncle also came forward for a better look.

"What unusual clothes," she murmured, studying the dresses and pants worn by his people.

Baron chuckled a bit. "My people would say the same about this world's clothes. About the closest we have to kimonos are located on the other side of the continent, but that's a discussion for another time."


	38. Affection

**Chapter Thirty Eight: Affection**

"Just look at those buildings!" Toto proclaimed. "It just seems so _alien_!"

Baron cast a glance at Lune, who nodded. "As far as I've been able to determine, this really _is _alien to you, because it's literally from another world. The proper term would be 'alternate dimension', but it just means that there are several worlds that exist at the same time, but aren't aware of each other. Also, there are different versions of the same people on each one, which explains why I'm over here, but also strangely dead over there at the same time." He looked deep into Haru's eyes, wondering how she would take the next part. "I lied when I said I was looking for my cousin, Haru. I was really looking for _you_."

She jumped back from the picture of Big Ben and stared at him. "Me? Why? There had to have been a version of me there, if what you're saying is true."

He smiled sadly, and brought back another memory: his first of her. A young woman appeared in the picture, holding a crying little boy close as he showed her his bleeding elbow.

Haru stared in amazement as her pale counterpart cleaned the wound with a handkerchief and put a strange sticky bandage over it while whispering comforting words. _'So __**that's **__how I'm supposed to look. I'm pretty?'_

"You didn't even know that child," Baron said softly as the kid happily returned to his play after hugging her around the neck. "But that was okay, you didn't care much if you knew someone or not, as long as they walked away from you with a smile. It was one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with you. It was also the reason you died."

Haru sharply turned to him with huge eyes. "Died?" she whispered.

Baron nodded, and pointed to Lune. "This fellow was crossing a street with a present for his girlfriend, but then the gift slipped, and one of the automobiles I told you about came racing towards him. You saw the tragedy that was about to happen, and stepped in. Lune survived, barely, but you didn't."

Without a warning, his concentration on the memory window vanished as he suddenly wrapped his arms around the green woman, and held her close as a few tears squeezed past his guard.

"That was the worst day of my _life. _I was devastated, and so were a lot of people. At the end of the funeral, I saw that cat in one window, and managed to catch him long enough to give him a piece of my mind for taking away our future, since I was about to propose to you, and you were gone forever. I was less than gentle about it, and probably said a few things that I shouldn't have.

"In any case, Lune, or Lunardo, as he's called in my home world, was feeling bad enough about what had happened without me adding anything, so he decided to bend a certain natural law to repay his debt both to me and you." He held her a little closer, thinking about the terrible time.

"He promised to send me to a world where you would be alive, and need me the most before he disappeared through a blue cat portal. I let him go because I was just so stunned that a cat had stood on his hind legs and _talked _to me, especially since magic isn't generally thought to exist in my world. I decided that I had imagined our chat, because I was still so distraught over your death, so I went inside my trailer to try resting. Then the tornado came. I was knocked unconscious by a book that had been thrown from a shelf while I was getting thrown about inside my trailer in the funnel, and when I woke up, I was in this world."

He took a deep breath, and told her everything that had occurred since then, not even leaving out that his original intention had been to kill her, if she had needed it as much as the Raven's Hill mayor had insisted.

"… but then I saw you, and… that was it, Haru. My opinion of you had already changed drastically when I saw the utopian society you made from scratch, but after I saw you, I _knew _that there was no way I would ever be able to kill you, or even deny you anything that you asked of me, maybe even _if _the stories were true about you. Please believe me on this. There were so many times when I wanted to tell you the truth about me, but to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure that you would believe this crazy, but true, story unless you saw both me and this world's monstrous version of me at the same time for yourself. I was scared to death that you would order me to leave, and not give me a chance to explain myself." He actually got down on his knees, rubbing her green hand against his tear-stained cheek, fearing to see the look in her eyes.

"Yes, I was willing to love you because you have the same sweet spirit as my Louise, but that's not the only reason I adore you. You're the strongest person I've ever met, and the bravest. Green, pink, purple, blue. I couldn't care _less_ what color your skin is, or how powerful you are, as long as your beautiful heart remains the same. _That _is what made me fall in love with you in the first place."

For what felt like eternity, there was silence. Baron almost passed out from not breathing, waiting for the girl of his dreams to give her verdict on his soul as his heart pounded in fear, wondering if what he felt for her would be enough.

Slowly, he could see her kneeling down, and the hand he was holding captive turn, so that it could cup his cheek. The hand directed his face so that he could lock eyes with the Mountain Witch.

She was crying, but there was no sorrow in this action. Instead, a beautiful smile of love and relief washed over him as she leaned enough to press her warm lips against his. Without hesitating, Baron swept the green woman into his arms, and kissed her lovingly as tears of relief washed down his own cheeks.

Muta and Toto told him later that the kiss had lasted for ten minutes, but the golden-haired youth would remain convinced for the rest of his life that the kisses he shared with the Mountain Witch had never topped ten seconds, though they kept trying at a new record.

When they eventually parted, Baron didn't notice anything strange, at first. Haru still loved him, and knew he would never harm her, that was enough for him. But _she_ noticed something. Her gaze was still on his face when they suddenly side-tracked to the hand that was still on his cheek.

Her eyes widened as a slow gasp escaped her throat.

She pulled her hand away from his face to look at the white, slightly pink fingers with disbelief.

Haru wasn't _quite_ as pale as the moon, but she was close.


	39. Happiness

**Chapter Thirty Nine: Happiness**

Baron blinked, realizing what was new about his beloved, and laughed warmly. "It appears that today is a day for miracles."

"How did this happen?" Haru whispered, pulling back a sleeve in order to stare at her pale arm.

Baron looked over at his dead counterpart, and grimaced. "This is just a theory, but I'm guessing that either _he_, or perhaps his father, cursed you while you were in the womb to have green skin, along with having to obey him. Why, I have no idea, but I'm guessing that one of the conditions to break the spell would be for you to accept the green-eyed man's affections if you wanted to get rid of the green skin."

She shuddered, but then remembered something else. "You knew he couldn't hurt you," the pale woman whispered.

Baron nodded. "It was actually an idea I've had since you gave me the ability to change shapes. I remembered how eager my body was, to suck up all of your magic, and reasoned that since I'm not originally from this world, my body's naturally a void, so if my body was that eager for _your _magic, just imagine what would happen if I started absorbing my _own _magic."

Haru stared at him. "You were willing to throw your life away to test a _theory_?!"

"A very probable theory," Baron pointed out, wrapping the girl up in his arms again. "And I was telling the truth when I said that I'd rather die than leave you to the likes of _him_."

She pressed her cheek into his shoulder, squeezing him around his chest. Suddenly, she opened her eyes to the stone statues that still surrounded them. "Can you fix this?" she asked nervously, pointing to a grey Tsuge. Baron looked over, and nodded.

"Yes, I believe I can. But, I'm not sure how to explain my new appearance without getting attacked. I somehow feel pretty sure that if I try to explain alternate dimensions to them, it will just go over their heads."

Haru nodded, since even _she _was barely able to grasp the strange concepts he had introduced.

Hmm…

Those under her care may not be able to accept the _entire _truth, but…

ooOoo

Hiromi sharply looked up from her post at the front of the cave, shocked beyond words as not one, but _two _triumphant dragon calls were given at the same time. And one of the voices seemed strange to her ears.

A dragon emerged from the castle, but Hiromi knew in an instant that it _wasn't_ her cousin. For starters, the body was slightly more masculine, the body had shining grey scales that were almost silvery, and the voice a deep tenor.

And right next to the rising grey dragon was one a dark chocolate color. Hiromi gasped, immediately recognizing _that _one as her darker cousin as the two dragons began to fly higher and higher, circling each other in an aerial dance as the valley filled, not with their roars, but with dragons' song. The mediocre witch didn't even knowthat dragons could sing! Let alone with such untold _beauty…_

Her mother came up behind her, as well as the other women, in order to stare at the two dragons. "What does this mean, honey?" Nirami whispered softly.

Hiromi sighed, picked up one of the younger children, and started walking the hidden path back to the castle. "Let's go down and find out. Haru wouldn't sing like that if she had lost the battle."

The other women and children began filing behind their temporary leader, almost running towards the castle, feeling more than anxious to know what had transpired there.

A number of the men were waiting just outside of the castle for them, their armor and weapons long shed. Joyfully, they ran towards their mothers, wives, daughters and sisters.

As Hiromi handed off a squealing child to his father, a pair of strong warm arms suddenly swept her off her feet. She yelped, more than a little surprised to see Tsuge, who was nearly glowing.

"He's gone, Hiromi! Baron showed him a thing or two!"

"Just what happened? Tell all!" she nearly commanded, too distracted to try breaking free from his embrace.

The young field-hand grinned happily. "Well, I didn't get to see, since that monster turned all the men into stone except Muta, Toto, and Baron, but apparently the green-eyed man wasn't really the green-eyed man!"

"Excuse me?!" the lighter brunette exclaimed, as she heard varying versions of the story being retold around her.

"Well, it just so happens that he's a usurper. His father cursed the real green-eyed man to look like a normal guy before sending him to a far-off land when he was a baby, so that his spelled son could take his place as king when the three thousand years were up!"

"Well, if that's true, then who was the real green-eyed man?" Hiromi asked.

Tsuge laughed merrily while setting her down. "Baron, of course! After he killed the imposter, he returned to his true form, and took away Haru's green skin. She looks normal now!"

Hiromi's eyes widened, looking up as her cousin and the other dragon began to sail gracefully back to earth, forever circling each other in an endless dance. That had to be Baron. He had always admired Haru's dragon form. It would only make sense for him to ask her for a flight. She looked away, and quietly closed the door of her heart to what could have been as she took Tsuge's arm, and held it close.

His eyes shot as open as they would go, and a blush crept onto his cheeks as she gently guided him back inside the castle.

"If Haru's ever going to declare a Random Day, it'll probably be today. Let's go see if we can start rounding up the cooks and musicians."

Tsuge nodded slowly, bashfully taking hold of her arm as she clung to him. "Whatever you say, Hiromi."

As the two entered the stone building, Baron and Haru made their landing on one of the bigger flower fields, one that was positively covered with snowdrops. Their wings wrapped around each others' bodies lovingly as the dragons slowly shrunk, and shifted into a human couple that had their arms firmly wrapped around each other.

There were still tears of joy in their eyes.

As they kissed tenderly, much to the delight of the onlookers, a ring flashed from the Mountain Witch's finger. But unlike the black one that had been tattooed onto her skin for the past year, this one seemed to twinkle like the morning star in the afternoon sunshine, almost as brightly as the newfound happiness.

ooOoo

The following years were happy ones, at least for the Mountain Witch's people, who eventually chose to call themselves 'Utopians'. The Baron chose not to claim the world that was his by right, instead choosing to focus his loving attentions on his beloved baroness and their people. His ideas, brought from the land of his youth, did indeed improve the lives of many, by providing not only easier transportation of goods and people, but also easier heating and cooling technology for everyone's homes.

After a time, more and more people began traveling to the other side of the Twin Mountains, or Utopia, in search of a better life. But even in this land of fruits and laughter, there was still sorrow.

One man that had traveled to the land after his hair had turned white and he had lost his high standing in his village, soon died from grief after seeing the beautiful and happy noble family, which was nearly overrunning the family castle with babies and laughter.

For if he had softened his heart as a young man, endless honor and power would have been _his _for fathering the powerful Baroness… instead of his brother's.

ooOoo

Lots of love to; Savannah Cullen, Bambi4ever, gacktxx, fringeperson, Rini's Ghost, Lunarobi Pride, Ceysna, Ms-Lady-Phoenix, Drifting One, Joanna, Mr-Lady-Phoenix(who may have been Ms-Lady-Phoenix misspelled), Anonomous-Allstar-Fan(and Bob), Archon Dragon, Nonimouse, Ghost Wulf, Lanari, LucyMint, kittydemon18, Seichou, Chantal, Elly, QuickStar, Bibishi Kuronecko787, Karmina Scarheart, LeafeKnight7, and MasquedOmbre for the many heartwarming and extremely funny reviews. I love hearing what people have to say, especially about my work. I promised you Haru's dad would get his comeuppance!

Whew! I need to write faster! Or maybe update slower… ah well. Here's the next story's summary;

_One haunted house plus a lovely lonely girl equals an old-fashioned romance._

I don't really think it's fair to ask anyone to guess what I based this next story off of, because there are at least five different sources that gave me inspiration for it. But I know there are at least two people that asked me to do a story that has been at least partially used in the making of this latest one.

I hope you all enjoy it, and extra kudos to the ones who can guess ALL of the stories used.

Lots of love,

YC


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